Firearms Carry On Atlanta Trains

[wishin]

A court ruling was recently made in the below noted case in favor of Mr. Raissi. Unfortunately, the court said that the MARTA police had sufficient reason to stop Raissi and seize his CC weapon. A small victory, but one for the good guys nonetheless. Somehow, $1,000 doesn't seem adequate compensation.

In GCO’s federal lawsuit against MARTA, the parties have stipulated that MARTA is the defendant liable for the Privacy Act violation and that GCO member Christopher Raissi’s damages are $1,000. The federal court entered a final judgment today against MARTA and in favor of Raissi for $1,000. The court also ordered MARTA to expunge Raissi’s social security number from its records.

Background:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thursday, March 05, 2009

A man detained after entering a MARTA station wearing a holstered firearm sued the transit agency Thursday, accusing it of illegal search and seizure.

The federal lawsuit was filed on behalf of Christopher Raissi and the gun-rights group, GeorgiaCarry.org.

Raissi was detained by MARTA police as he entered the Avondale station Oct. 14 with his firearm, the lawsuit said. The handgun was inside Raissi’s T-shirt and must have been exposed when he dropped his MARTA fare card and bent down to pick it up, said his lawyer John Monroe.

MARTA officers surrounded Raissi, seized the weapon and demanded to know why he was carrying a gun, the suit said.

Raissi showed the officers his Georgia firearms license and driver’s license and, at their request, gave them his Social Security number. He was escorted to another building, held about 30 minutes and released with his gun.

The officers had no probable cause or reasonable suspicion Raissi was committing, or about to commit a crime, the suit said. It noted the Georgia Legislature last year passed House Bill 89, which decriminalized the carrying of firearms on public transit.

MARTA does not comment on pending litigation, spokeswoman Cara Hodgson said.

Last summer, MARTA notified its customers about the new law. It also said the law requires anyone carrying a firearm on public transit to have a valid firearms license. MARTA police will strictly enforce all provisions of the law, the transit agency said.