If Christie commutes the sentence, it is time for the gun owner to change residence again. Move to a gun friendly state, and never never look back.
I’ve been watching this case, too. It really presents Christie with a dilemma.
On the one hand, he has a history of being very anti-gun, anti-2nd Amendment, and is Governor of New Jersey, one of the most anti-gun States in the Union. I have no doubt he’d rather leave the guy in prison, and really wishes this would just go away.
However, if he has any hopes of running for national office in the future he’s politically astute and smart enough to know that failure to pardon this man will kill his chances with conservatives.
I’d say that if he does grant a pardon it’s probably a clear indication he has national ambitions and is willing to dissemble to get there.