Posted on 03/20/2012 7:00:02 PM PDT by marktwain
A civil rights group wants the state to suspend the concealed carry permit of George Zimmerman as investigators probe the shooting death of black teenager Trayvon Martin.
But Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, whose agency oversees concealed weapons permits, said he can't do anything without pending criminal charges or a felony conviction. In Florida, felons are not allowed to carry concealed weapons without restoration of their civil rights and firearm authority.
State law also prevents Putnam's agency from identifying people who have applied for or received a permit, so he can't specifically talk about Zimmerman as a permit holder.
"My office is legally bound to fiercely protect the privacy of concealed weapon permit holders," Putnam said Tuesday when asked about the group's demand. "There are specific legal triggers that result in suspension or revocation."
The Florida Civil Rights Association has planned a Wednesday protest at the department's regional licensing office in Orlando anyway.
"The public believes that Mr. Zimmerman is not fit to maintain his license because he has demonstrated to be a clear threat to public safety," the group's president, J. Willie David III, said in a statement.
No one from the group has responded to emails and phone calls for comment.
Zimmerman told police in Sanford that he shot Martin, who died with a bullet wound to his chest, in self-defense, a key part of Florida's seven-year-old "Stand Your Ground" law. Zimmerman's call to 911 dispatcher, released last week, suggests he pursued Martin even though the dispatcher told him not to, spurring increased national outrage over the Feb. 26 incident. Martin was carrying a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea.
Putnam spokesman Sterling Ivey said it is not common for complaints to be filed against concealed carry weapons permit holders. Once a complaint is filed it is investigated by the licensing division and, if needed, the department's law enforcement arm.
Here's what state law says about suspending or revoking a permit holder's license:
The department shall revoke a license if the licensee has been found guilty of, had adjudication of guilt withheld for, or had imposition of sentence suspended for one or more crimes of violence within the preceding three years.
The department shall suspend a license if the licensee is arrested or formally charged with a felony. The suspension will last until the case is over.
The department shall suspend a license if the licensee is issued an injunction that restrains him or her from committing acts of domestic violence or acts of repeat violence.
Other grounds for suspension/revocation include sustaining a physicial disability that makes handling a weapon safely impossible and being committed to a mental institution.
Fl used to have a guy name Charles Bronson as the commissioner who regulated the price of gas, might have been the same department.
Knew Adam Putnam when we were teens in Bartow; he was a bit younger than I, but you could already tell he was a atraight shooter. His holding to protect the privacy of the permit holders sounds just like him. Hope he runs for higher office.
Is there more to this story?
Seems the libs are using this to attack Florida’s self defense laws, to attack the 2nd amendment, and to generate racial conflict in a pretty disgusting way.
I don’t understand why this shooter hasn’t been charged. The articles all make it sound like you can’t be charged now in Florida if you just shoot somebody and then claim they attacked you. Very unlikely.
Next, the shooter is hispanic and they are saying the case has “obvious” racial aspects. I don’t see any except the races of the participants, both being minorities.
In this situation it is Blacks vs. Hispanic. the media has come down solidly on the side of the Black kid.
It is clear that Whitey is at the bottom of the totem pole and Black is the bees knees of victim-hood but how do Hispanic and Asian rate on the victim-hood scale?
“Fl used to have a guy name Charles Bronson as the commissioner who regulated the price of gas, might have been the same department.”
http://www.usacarry.com/concealed-carry-permit-examples.html/florida-3/
This guy? I was scared that my permit would have the same
name and someone would think it was a gag.
Seems to me the media is so desperate for “racial” incidents that it will jump at any opportunity.
I don’t understand this story, it certainly sounds like one self appointed wacky vigilante caused an unnecessary tragedy. Did the guy have any justification to suspect this kid of anything?
“Fl used to have a guy name Charles Bronson as the commissioner who regulated the price of gas, might have been the same department.”
http://www.usacarry.com/concealed-carry-permit-examples.html/florida-3/
This guy? I was scared that my permit would have the same
name and someone would think it was a gag.
The neighbors called in to 911 that the two were physically fighting. That might be a good enough excuse to use a gun to stop a fight. What say you?
Seems to me the media is so desperate for “racial” incidents that it will jump at any opportunity.
I don’t understand this story, it certainly sounds like one self appointed wacky vigilante caused an unnecessary tragedy. Did the guy have any justification to suspect this kid of anything?
Has the coroner released any information about the shooting yet?
They were physically fighting because Mr. Zimmerman had initiated a confrontation. Let’s say you and I are at a bar, and you say something I don’t like and I throw a punch at you, a fight ensues and you get the advantage. Should I then be able to pull out my firearm, blow you away and then claim self defense?
Generally speaking I’m firmly on the side of those who exercise their Second Amendment rights, but not this time. Mr. Zimmerman clearly lacks the sort of common sense and good judgement that ought to be expected out of a responsible owner of a firearm, and I believe that revoking his concealed carry permit is quite reasonable, given the situation and provided that he is afforded due process.
“No one from the group has responded to emails and phone calls for comment. “
Their corporate lawyer must be familiar with slander and libel law.
Yep
Death Wish IV
Sanford, Fl.
Stand your ground law. If he was felt threatened, then he can shoot, that’s why he isn’t arrested, and that’s why the media trying to manufacture race riots out of it.
The fact that a guy is kicking your ass isn't going to be good justification for shooting him to death if you instigated the confrontation. It appears that mr cop wanabee may have done just that. Him out weighing the dead kid by 100 lbs or so doesn't help his case either.
No. He hasn't been arrested because the investigators can't disprove his suspicious account of what took place, at least yet. The fact that the only other eye witness is dead doesn't help.
I understand but stand your ground can’t mean you can shoot anyone you have a fight with.
Ever since Obama’s election, we have become more post racial than ever before.
According to the latest annual report on murder in this country by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, most inter-racial murders involve black assailants and white victims with blacks murdering whites at 18 times the rate that whites murder blacks- I wonder how many of the families of those tens of thousands of white victims were accorded the opportunity to have their crimes investigated by the Dept of Justice?
BTW:the statistics on inter-racial rape and assault are even worst than those for murders but this is considered something the MSM feels should not be divulged.
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