Posted on 12/21/2010 5:02:02 AM PST by Scanian
New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie commuted the sentence of Brian Aitken’s Monday, reducing his sentence from seven years in prison to time already served. According to Christie’s order, he will be released as soon as it’s “administratively possible.”
As The Daily Caller previously reported, Aitken, 27, was arrested in New Jersey in 2009 after police found unloaded guns in the trunk of his car that had been purchased legally in Colorado. New Jersey law requires residents who want to transport firearms legally to request a permit from a local law enforcement office and produce a letter stating why it is necessary for them to carry a gun.
Aitken’s attorney argued that his client was innocent of any offense because the firearms were legally purchased (at a Bass Pro Shop), properly stored, and unloaded. And though New Jersey has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, Aitken’s attorney said his client did not violate any law because he was in the middle of moving residences between two states.
Nonetheless, Aitken was sentenced to seven years in prison in August. His supporters say the judge refused to accept evidence supporting his defense. He was convicted of the same kind of felony a criminal who had bought guns with intent to commit a crime would have faced.
Nothing about Aitken’s past, however, indicated that he was a threat to the public, let alone himself. After separating from his wife in 2008, Aitken moved from Colorado to New Jersey to be closer to his son.
Thanks to Christie, Aitken will now be able spend Christmas at home.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
Me too.
Thus, the post.
Also:
What I’ve said to some of them is that to me, an ounce of accomplishment is worth a ton of policy positions and theory.
Christie is walking the walk. A damn dangerous walk at that.
Amazing ain’t that these scummy places with anti gun laws have far worse crime than us hayseed hick states which use common sense, abide by the Constitution and allow law abiding citizens to possess guns.
Really didn’t mean all of New Jersey, Illinois, Massa2shites, Neuvo York are scummy, its just the majority good folks there need to stand up and introduce your criminal governments to Tony Llama. New Jersey has started!
I said he would do it before Christmas or not at all.
This is not a pardon, however and Aitkens was innocent.
The biggest issue that NJ faces are its financial affairs. He is willing to address that in a way that few governors seem willing to do.
Christie is looking better and better.
Took to long. There.
I think that most Christie bashers in NJ are unions, state workers and teachers. There are people who feel he is not 2nd amendment friendly.
I think his decision in this case is not based on the 2nd amendment, it is based on the fact that the judge that presided over the case was a liberal jerk that he fired and did not allow the proper evidence at the trial.
I am a Christie supporter however I voted for Steve Lonegan in the primary because of his 2A views.
Although better than doing nothing, both of these should have been a full pardon.
When one is locked up, one asks for whatever it takes to get them out. He will likely go for the full pardon upon his release and Christie should give it to him.
This is what the new Republican U.S. House needs to do. Get noticed small accomplishments on the books and then give the Liberal/Progressives H....
No bashing here; he's such an improvement over our prior "leaders" that there's no comparison. But no one is perfect, and his imperfection in his attitude towards the second amendment is troubling.
Seems to me that a pardon was called for as a way of reversing that travesty of justice. Mere commutation only gets him out of jail, it doesn't wipe his record, a record that he received because of a corrupt, biased judge failing to perform his duties and uphold the Constitution.
And though New Jersey has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, Aitken’s attorney said his client did not violate any law because he was in the middle of moving residences between two states.
Exactly - NJ law is irrelevant regarding the interstate transport of firearms. This is addressed in the 1986 FOPA, and was put in there for EXACTLY this reason - to prevent anti-gun states from interfering with the right of gun owners to move guns between 2 places.
A PARDON was called for here, not a mere commutation.
...sigh...
Perhaps I agree with the "fiscally responsible" part, but I'm not so sure Gov. Christie is electable (as a Republican). From the research I've already done, he supports Cap & Trade, flipped on abortion after his first child was born (flip alone doesn't mean it's bad, but what has he done/signed related to abortion since then?), supports construction of the Ground Zero Mosque and "Amnesty" for illegal aliens, opposes repeal of ObamaCare, and supports gun control.
He may be conservative in the state of New Jersey where he serves as Governor, but he is NOT a conservative. I certainly will not support him!
Probably the same thing.
Christie apparently thinks it's o.k. for the fellow to lose his Constitutional rights because a corrupt judge in a police state wanted to make an example of him.
Major fail on Cristie's part IMO. I won't forget it. Dispite his rhetoric and record so far on fiscal issues, this clearly shows that he doesn't understand our God-given rights at all, but does show he's basically succeptable to watching political winds and reacting to them.
Maybe if his lawyer had sought one he would have received one.
A commutation was what he asked for and that was exactly what he got.
Bad.
Should have been pardoned. Christie has no balls.
But, he has STILL lost his guns, and his GUN RIGHTS! Give him BACK his RIGHTS!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.