Prison not enough for peaceable armed citizen, Bloomberg smears her with lie(NY)

St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner ^ | 3 January, 2012 | Kurt Hofmann

[marktwain]

On December 22, registered nurse and fourth-year medical student Meredith Graves, from Tennessee, was visiting the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. Ms. Graves, rather than abdicating responsibility for her security to others, was carrying a defensive handgun, as she is licensed to do in Tennessee. That, unfortunately, avails her nothing in New York. When she saw the "No Guns" sign before entering, she did her best to comply with the law, asking a security guard where she could check her gun. The guard directed her to a police officer, who promptly arrested her for violation of New York's laws against self-defense. She now faces, if convicted, a minimum of 3 1/2 years in prison--and New York apparently intends to aggressively pursue the case.

So far, nothing especially unsual about the story--we recently talked about another visitor from out of state who is now facing prison charges stemming from his failure to realize how passionately the New York ruling class loves mandated defenselessness. Well, actually, there is something unusual about it: this case has led even some New York politicians to think that the law needs to be changed. Where this story exceeds the typical level of outrageousness of New York's forcible citizen disarmament culture is the libelous lie Mayor Bloomberg (presumably annoyed that his beloved gun laws were being questioned) smeared Ms. Graves with. From Capital New York:

When asked whether the woman deserved any leniency, Mayor Michael Bloomberg indicated to reporters at a press conference in Brooklyn today that she had other problems.

"Let's assume she didn't get arrested for carrying a gun," he said. "She probably would have gotten arrested for the cocaine that was in her pocket."

Cocaine in her pocket? Umm . . . no.

[cycjec]

Should any FReepers still be considering putting themselves in jeopardy by visiting New York City, a netsearch on the NYPD's revived "Lucky Bag" project should restore them to sanity. The NYPD has been setting out apparently lost wallets, etc. and arresting person who pick them up, with the genuine intention of finding the owner. Quite a few people with no criminal record have been arrested and the system is not set up to handle a "Not Guilty" plea. The expense is significant, and the time involved can be months. "Lucky Bag" arrests are in contravention of New York property law, PEP Section 252, as well as the Torah law concerning returning lost objects to the owner. Some reports say that a plea bargain with a fine and expungement after six months is a disposition many accepts, which makes the this even more despicble.

[varmintman]

All she needed to do was keep her mouth shut...

[AppyPappy]

I’m rather amazed that someone believed they could carry a concealed handgun in NYC.

[miss marmelstein]

Unfortunately, our drawf-ish little mayor would probably enjoy that! He’s such a fruit.

[cycjec]

Ah, “taking a powder” methinks. If so, labels are
advisable today.

[miss marmelstein]

Hmmm...that may be on “the books” but I don’t think it’s being implemented. I lose my wallet every other day and it’s always returned to me without any problems. Cab drivers can be wonderfully honest about this.

[taxcontrol]

She should sue Bloomberg personally for libel and defamation. Then if necessary, use it as a chip to get the city to dismiss the charges against her and then drop the lawsuit.

[cuban leaf]

—The USA is getting so full of Liberal dictators showering pain and misery upon the citizens that it becomes hard to love the Country anymore. —

Bingo. For me, the turning point was watching Family Court in action in the late 1990’s. I no longer love this country and consider it, to some degree at least, an evil empire. Seriously.

One example: People are saying it is sad that money is what gets a man elected president. That masks the real problem: That people are so intentionally ignorant that the candidate with the most money for MSM ads will get their vote. In this country we not only get the government we want. We get the government we deserve.

I feel a little like a Jew in 1930’s Germany. And not having had TV since the 1990’s, I’ve seen this country become much more of a police state than many really think it is. It has been a rapid decline and it is only accelerating. Watch your back.

And to those FBI sniffers, I’m only stating an opinion. My God instructs me in the Bible on what to do in such a situation. It doesn’t involve violence.

It’s sad that I feel it necessary to add that last sentence. It is a bit of an old Soviet Union sort of thing, I believe.

[wolficatZ]

“Why was she carrying powdered aspirin?

That IS a bit strange”

http://www.goodyspowder.com/

My God, it’s like some of you people around here are FROM ANOTHER PLANET.

All you do is gossip incessantly and make things up, instead of thinking, for a change.

[miss marmelstein]

How are you supposed to take it, though? I have them in my closet right now but they taste so bad it’s plain scary! (Dumb Yankee alert, lol!)

[cuban leaf]

Interesting.

I did search and found this story:

http://www.thevillager.com/villager_178/luckybagstingcharges.html

Those pesky, persistent “not guilty” plea perps. ;)

[papertyger]

Generally, people make a little chute out of the paper wrapper, then pour it on the back of their tongue, past the taste buds.

Then you chase it with a drink.

[cuban leaf]

—Should any FReepers still be considering putting themselves in jeopardy by visiting New York City, a netsearch on the NYPD’s revived “Lucky Bag” project should restore them to sanity. —

The money quote from the article I posted: “Calthorpe’s attorney cited lack of evidence of any actual theft, along with an existing statute that allows for 10 days to report found property.”

If the ten day statute does exist, it destroys the city’s case unless they actually follow you and catch you trying to pawn the stuff, etc.

[cycjec]

This "Lucky Bag" isn't a law. It's a NYPD sting operation. Many people who find unattended wallets, bags, etc. in public places are arrested by New York's Finest when they pick them up intending to return them. Cab drivers are fortunate in that the NYPD has its own vehicles.
The law cited is the New York Property Law which I am not in a position to cut and paste here, but the gist is that it requires finders to make efforts to return lost property. As your experience indicates, many people do indeed so so, and I daresay, do so unmotivated by NYS statute.

[Salgak]

Powdered Aspirin in a glassine envelope (per the article) is a perfectly normal product.

Down here in the South, we call those “Headache Powders”, and they’re readily found over-the-counter under the “Goody’s” and “BC” brand labels. . . .

[chrisser]

How are you supposed to take it, though?

http://www.goodyspowder.com/HowToTake.aspx

[driftdiver]

I cannot see what anyone sees in NYC. I’ve been going there once a month for the last 18 months. Its a dirty, nasty, crowded place run by corrupt leftists.

[AnTiw1]

Every time I see and hear Bloomberg I can’t help but think how turning his head around 270 degrees would improve his looks.

[cuban leaf]

—I’m rather amazed that someone believed they could carry a concealed handgun in NYC.—

Especially after that Bernard Goetz thing. Heck, in SeaTac airport a lady tried to “check” a loaded revolver at customer service AFTER she got through security because she knew she was not allowed to take it on the plane.

Nothing happened to her that I am aware of because the authorities understood the “spirit” of what was going on there.

With this nurse, it’s a little bit more difficult to “laugh off” because once she saw the cop, she was a citizen with a handgun in NYC. He can’t just point her somewhere. He’s got to either arrest her or escort her out of town. It is one reason we need that national law where they accept your CC from any state just as they let you drive with a drivers license from any state.

[Kirkwood]

Most people mix it with Southern Comfort.