cdonath said:
So what's the more to this story?
Frankin and DeCosta were named in a
federal lawsuit by John Monroe, an attorney with Georgia Carry dot Org, filed this morning. Tim Bearden is the plaintiff. I haven't yet seen the complaint, so I don't yet know exactly what the legal basis is.
I'll update this thread as more information is made available.
Edit:
http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=117996&catid=40
ATLANTA -- A state representative and a pro-gun group have vowed to challenge a "gun free zone" policy at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport by filing a lawsuit, saying the ban violates his civil rights.
During a news conference Tuesday, Airport General Manager Ben DeCosta and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin declared that the airport would be a gun free zone. The pair cited city attorneys' advice that said the airport was covered as a public gathering place and therefore could allow for a moratorium on handguns.
Immediately following the news conference, Franklin and DeCosta were served subpoenas for a lawsuit filed by GeorgiaCarry.org.
"Ben DeCosta cannot trump state law or the constitution of the United States," Georgia Representative Tim Bearden (R, Villa Rica) said during an interview on CNN Tuesday morning.
Monday Bearden said he had plans to pick up some family members at the airport on Tuesday and would carry his personal weapon with him. DeCosta said he could identify Bearden and threatened to have him arrested if he brings a gun onto airport property.
Tuesday, Bearden moderated his stance, saying he still planned to visit the airport, but would not be carrying a firearm. He cited the airport's "illegal" policy as the reason for a federal lawsuit he plans to file. "It shouldn't be this way. We have a state law in place. We have a United States Supreme Court ruling in place," Bearden said.
During his interview on CNN Bearden also questioned the airport's ability to enforce the gun ban citing the many sport shooters who travel with firearms in their checked baggage.