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Another reason to not visit the People's Republic of New Jersey.

2K views 17 replies 16 participants last post by  havegunjoe 
#1 ·
Came accross this and it confirms I won't be taking any vacations that take me through NJ.:mad:

February 27, 2006 - The Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, Inc. (ANJRPC) announced that it has commenced a lawsuit against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and one of its police officers for wrongfully arresting and imprisoning for nearly five days a 57-year old Utah man delayed at Newark Airport by a baggage error while traveling from Utah to Pennsylvania.

The lawsuit seeks more than $3 million in damages for civil rights violations and a permanent injunction forcing the Port Authority to follow Federal law on interstate transport of locked, unloaded firearms that have been secured in luggage and declared by law-abiding citizens.

The Utah man, Gregg Revell, a real estate broker and family man with no criminal record and a Utah firearms permit, was flying alone from Salt Lake City, UT to Allentown, PA to retrieve a car he bought and drive it home. He was travelling with a firearm for personal protection. As required by Federal law, the firearm was unloaded, cased, locked and inside his luggage when he declared it at check-in in Salt Lake City on March 31, 2005.

Due to an airline-caused baggage error, Mr. Revell missed his connection from Newark to Allentown and had to stay overnight in New Jersey. When he checked in at Newark Airport the next morning to complete his travels, he again declared his firearm, as required by FAA regulations. He was then arrested for possession of a firearm without a New Jersey state license, and imprisoned in Essex County jail for five days until his family arranged bail, which had been initially set unusually high at $15,000 cash (no bond).

But Mr. Revell’s travels were protected by the Firearms Owner Protection Act, a Federal law passed in 1986 to protect law-abiding citizens who travel with firearms. (See 18 U.S.C. § 926A.) That law trumps state and local gun laws and protects interstate travel with firearms under certain circumstances, all of which were present in Mr. Revell’s case. Several months after the arrest, all charges were withdrawn and the prosecutor’s case administratively dismissed.

"The Port Authority blatantly violated Federal law when it arrested Gregg Revell," said Scott Bach, President of the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs and a member of the NRA Board of Directors. "Those charged with enforcing the law have a special responsibility to follow it themselves," Bach continued. "Mr. Revell’s arrest is part of a pattern of similar misconduct by the Port Authority throughout the New York-New Jersey metropolitan areas."

"This lawsuit is intended to send a signal not only to the Port Authority but to every agency and officer responsible for policing our airports and highways: if you violate the rights of law-abiding gun owners, you will be held fully accountable." The lawsuit also names the arresting Port Authority police officer, Scott Erickson, as a defendant.

Once inside Essex County prison, Mr. Revell was subjected to numerous atrocities. He was thrown into a holding cell with 28 inmates, many of whom were admitted murderers and rapists. He endured a repulsive vomit-covered bed and toilet, was denied his blood pressure and migraine medication, innoculated against his will, given inedible food, strip-searched, and left only with his wits to survive.

"I did nothing wrong yet was arrested and subjected to the worst treatment imaginable for almost a week," said Mr. Revell, who has 8 children, 8 grandchildren and has been married for 36 years. "I brought this lawsuit together with the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs because I want to stop this kind of abuse from ever happening again," said Revell. "No one should ever have to experience what I experienced," he said. "I paid the price, but I’m committed to making sure no one else does."
 
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#3 ·
Thanks for the story.

In case anyone is wondering . . .



18 USC § 926A

Interstate transportation of firearms

Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter [18 USC §§ 921 et seq.] from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver's compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.
 
#4 ·
I hope Mr. Revell wins his lawsuit, but more to the point, I hope his record gets completely cleared, so that any reference to his alleged "crime" never comes back to haunt him in the future.

We've all heard horror stories about the difficulties in removing one's name from a government database.
 
#6 ·
Thankfully I never have to fly to the NYC area airports any more. Just one more reason why I'm moving west and will avoid flying to any NE state that won't honor my rights and permits.
 
#7 ·
Forget rumors. It Really Happens.
They once busted a Texas Ranger on assignment as he got off the plane and went to pick up his gun.
You know that Federal thing about travel?
Well, New York and New Jersey do NOT recognize it and never have. To my knowledge this is the first time somebody has made a Federal issue of it. It will pay to watch how this plays out.

AFS
 
#8 ·
Mr. Revell was subjected to numerous atrocities. He was thrown into a holding cell with 28 inmates, many of whom were admitted murderers and rapists. He endured a repulsive vomit-covered bed and toilet, was denied his blood pressure and migraine medication, innoculated against his will, given inedible food, strip-searched, and left only with his wits to survive.
That is a horror story. I certainly hope very much this guy gets recompense and that the upholding of the law takes a turn for the better as a result.
Well, New York and New Jersey do NOT recognize it and never have.
This had better be a wake-up call to prevent such a travesty from happening again.

Erich - thx for that info on the law.
 
#9 ·
Well, New York and New Jersey do NOT recognize it and never have.
Perhaps that act of withholding Federal funds to the states that refuse to reconize Federal law would be the thing to pursue.

They once busted a Texas Ranger on assignment as he got off the plane and went to pick up his gun.
It often appears that common sense is DEAD in those two states escpecially when dealing wit hthe Port Authority. It seems that they have more than their share or horror stories.
 
#12 ·
AirForceShooter said:
...
You know that Federal thing about travel?
Well, New York and New Jersey do NOT recognize it and never have. To my knowledge this is the first time somebody has made a Federal issue of it. ... AFS
Chicago also feels itself to be above Federal law. Mayor Daley recently announced that Chicago would not recognize the rights of police and former police to carry concealed under Federal law. Amazing, isn't it, how these totalitarian S.O.B.s want laws imposed and enforced upon the common man but feel they themselves are above any law which inconveniences them.
 
#13 ·
I have been thinking about this off and on since I originally posted it and every time I think of it I really get PO'ed. A woman recently sued a hotel for 20 million over bed bug bites. If she could do that, this guy should be suing for at least 10 times the amount he is. In this case I hope he reams the officers involved too, they should have known better. This cannot be allowed to continue.
 
#16 ·
I work with many police officers in my job and almost all of them have my respect. The ones I know do their best with the knowledge they have. With nearly a gazillion (OK, so that's not an exact number) city, county, state, and federal laws they obviously can't keep up with all of them. They focus on their local laws, having to trust that the legislators (two words I don't think I've ever put together in a sentence) don't pass conflicting laws that will get them into trouble and that their department keeps them updated. Without having personal knowledge of the situation or arresting officer, I can't say as I would blame him personally.
However... I would definitely hold the department accountable for the arrest and jail situation. To bad they state isn't named in the lawsuit for putting the department in that situation with their inane law to begin with.
 
#17 ·
I live in Pennsylvania and have the Utah CCW. I also live 20 minutes from the the NJ border. I work and drive in NJ all the time, and it drives me nuts that I always have to go home and disarm before I travel there. I can carry in 30+ except the one closest to me... NJ.:rant:
 
#18 ·
This summer my wife and I are taking a road trip out east, then south, then home here to Minnesota. I am avoiding, or getting through quickly all states that are not gun friendly. I've mapped out my trip to avoid NJ,NYC, DC for example even though it may take me a bit longer.

In the unfriendly gun states I must travel through I will spend no money if I can help it. The only state I will stop in is MD and only because I have relatives there I havn't seen in years. I am staying only one day in MD, I want out as quickly as possible.
 
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