How do I handle this situation?

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mugsie

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OK - here's the situation. I have a CCW. I also have a jury notice. Now, what do I do? The courthouse, for obvious reasons, is in a terrible part of town. It's located in an area that caused me to get the CCW to begin with. Parking at best is terrible and at worst it's a couple of blocks walk. Courthouses do not allow concealed carry. Leaving it in the car is nuts because I can't be sure the car will be there when I leave! So, short of trying to get out of jury duty (let's see, once I said they wouldn't be here if they weren't guilty - dismissed, and another time it was a homicide by a gang member and I said, look at him, do I look like his peer - dismissed! I did serve on two other occasions and both settled prior to the trial.) how do I handle the situation? From what I can see I guess I need to go unarmed. Any of you run into this problem? How did you handle it?
Thanks guys....
 
Well, you could take a taxi or have an armed friend drop you off (and maybe hold your pistol for you). Or find a business near the courthouse that would store your piece for you. I suppose in some counties in some states the deputies might agree to store it for you during your time in the courthouse.

Absent one of those choices I guess you'll either have to leave it in the car or not take it with you. Sometimes not all the choices are good.
 
Call the courthouse and ask ... I'm betting, right inside the front door, they have a security checkpoint w/ metal detector. It's likely you can make arrangements to check it in with an officer and retrieve it when you leave.
 
Call the courthouse and ask ... I'm betting, right inside the front door, they have a security checkpoint w/ metal detector. It's likely you can make arrangements to check it in with an officer and retrieve it when you leave.
Click to expand...

+1

If that doesn't work, then you could keep it in the car and park in a public garage.
 
I think most corthouses will store the gun for you while inside. I've also heard horror stories about violations of the 4 rules by the checkpoint people taking the weapon...
If they aren't willing to do that say you aren't willing to go unarmed and defenseless. Maybe you'll get out of it again. It's not like a shooting has ever taken place at or near a courthouse...HA! :p
 
I had federal jury duty a few years back. I called and ask what the procedure was and they said to show my permit and license at the check point and they would provide a lock box.

The first day, i waited in the long line until it was my turn and they directed me to another marshal off to the side. He checked my "papers" and then told me to place my gun and reload, and anything else that was "prohibited" in the courthouse in the lock box and come back to him. He swept me with a wand, kept my permit, which was returned when I turned in the key, I kept the key.

The next day, I didnt have to wait in line, just walk up front and show my permit. No questions, no hassles.

Our local county courthouse also has a "security booth" where you do the same. Just like the federal court house, your the only one to handle your weapon, and they would prefer you dont unholster the gun, just remove the holster.

A big advantage here is, you dont need to leave your phone, knives, etc in the car, or with someone else, it all goes in the box with your gun.
 
Many years ago I had to stop by the courthouse on the way to the range. I just handed my bag to the cop at the metal detector and told him there was a gun inside. He held it for me till I got out. No problem, but this was in small town Florida.
 
Most Courthouses will have a lock box............Just make sure you call the Sheriff in advance to get instructions............NEVER leave a handgun in your car......Not for any reason..............
Picture a 15 year old stealing your car and killing himself with YOUR gun.........
You'll never sleep again !!
 
Call the courthouse and ask. I left work one day, while I didn't have a firearm I did have my knife with pocket clip that I always carry and my Gerber Multitool on my belt. I forgot to leave them in the car and walked into the main Court Building in White Plains (Office of the Attorney General and the like, major, major building)

No line at the security booth, went to get my wallet for ID and... Uh oh. I got nervous I'll admit, looked at the court officer and told him

"Sorry sir, I forgot to leave some of the prohibited items in the car"

I was expecting to be lead off in handcuffs but was pleasently surprised

"No problem, drop them here in this basket, we'll hold onto them, give you a receipt, claim them when you leave"

As I was removing the belt and the shoes I overheard a guy who had just come in behind me

"I called earlier about coming in?"

"Oh right, your the bail bondsmen. We have a locker room with some lock boxes we can hold your things in until your done with your buisiness"

The way they handled everything really surprised me. I'd suggest call and ask just in case. They may make arrangements or tell you what you can do. But don't leave it in the car. A smash and grab robbery is too much temptation, you're car might be there but the stereo, wheels, center console and glovebox contents might not be. It was a big thing around here for awhile. Run up to a car, smash in the window, grab everything, get out of there. They would go through the stuff later and find out what was worth something.

Good luck
 
Picture a 15 year old stealing your car and killing himself with YOUR gun.........
You'll never sleep again !!
Click to expand...

How is that any different from him killing himself in an accident with YOUR car...
 
NEVER leave a handgun in your car......Not for any reason..............
Picture a 15 year old stealing your car and killing himself with YOUR gun.........
You'll never sleep again !!
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm crass, but if someone (I don't care if they are 15 or 45) steals my car and gun, and gets killed in the process, I'm not going to loose one wink of sleep. Most of the world has forgotten that being a criminal is RISKY. If a person undertakes a crime, they accept the risk.
 
I've had occasion to visit our county courthouse armed. I simply told the guard working the metal detector that I had a concealed carry permit and I was carrying. He got all excited, turned to his fellow officer and exclaimed,

"He's got a gun! :eek: What do we do? What do we do!?!"

"Take it away from him."

The first guy calmed down and gave me a form to fill out. I produced my gun, cleared it, and handed it over to him. He locked it in an individual locker (there was a whole wall of them) and gave me a receipt for it. I went about my busniess, and picked it up on the way out.
 
You guys are lucky to get jury duty. I would love to do it. I live in a rural County. I'm dismissed before I show up.

If I make it into the building I get sent home because I socialize with the Judge, help of the Prosecutor's election campaign, I supply guns and ammo to the arresting officer, and the dirt bags public defender is my wife's ex husband.

Maybe one day I will be able to catch a Federal trial.
 
Most courthouses will not allow you to check your gun (in these parts).They dont even want you in the breezeway with one. The best thing about jury duty is it gives you a chance to see how messed up the judicial system is... Pomp and circumstanse replacing action and common sense. My jury duty last fall consisted of sitting in on two trials both involving illegal aliens having commited crimes against other illegal aliens. That coupled with having to listen to the lowest form of life (lawyers) and the devils spawn ( judges) go on for hours makes for an interesting reason not to get paid for two weeks.

Jury Nulification. Take the law back into your own hands!
 
good luck to you on the jury duty thing.
Are you a registered voter? I'm conducting a poll.
 
Maybe I'm crass, but if someone (I don't care if they are 15 or 45) steals my car and gun, and gets killed in the process, I'm not going to loose one wink of sleep. Most of the world has forgotten that being a criminal is RISKY. If a person undertakes a crime, they accept the risk.
Click to expand...

My first thought on seeing the suicide post was 'I wouldn't mind that so much as if he used the gun to kill somebody else'.

I don't mind the thief getting himself killed, deliberately or not. It's the innocent bystanders(or outright target) that I care about.
 
mugsie said:
So, short of trying to get out of jury duty (let’s see, once I said they wouldn’t be here if they weren’t guilty—dismissed, and another time it was a homicide by a gang member and I said, look at him, do I look like his peer—dismissed! I did serve on two other occasions and both settled prior to the trial.) how do I handle the situation?
Click to expand...

Besides simply not going armed for a couple days, it sounds like you could always just lie under oath again.

~G. Fink
 
Legion1776 said:
I checked the little box that excuses you if you are a member of the clergy.
Click to expand...

I hope that you really are a member of the clergy - I personally think it's wrong to avoid jury duty.

Can we complain about other people denying our RKBA rights when we are denying people the right to trial by jury?

I also can't see complaining about the quality of juries and then refusing to serve.

I personally feel as though as an American citizen, I have two fundamental duties:

  1. Voting I vote in every election, and don't have much patience for those who stay at home and whine about the lack of qualified candidates. To my mind, when some 3rd world hellhole gets a 70% turnout in an election where going to the polls may mean dying, and we in America have < 40% turnout, I am embarassed to be an American. Irag managed a 70% tunrout in parlimantry elecctions admist daily bombings and death threasts the same year that we managed 36% in the United State. Shame, America, Shame!
  2. Jury Duty The most fundamental element of our legal system is the governement agents do not decide guilt or innocence. How many American died for this fundamental right? How many Americans undermine this right by shirking jury duty?

I have assumed other obligations (like when I took an oath to prortect the Constitution "against enemies, foreign and dometics..."). But those two are fundamental.

If someone is not man enough to live up to his obligations as a citizen, I don't ever want ot hear him whining about RKBA!

Just my (hot headed) opinion.

So I really hope that you are in fact a member of the clergy.

Mike
 
Jury Duty The most fundamental element of our legal system is the governement agents do not decide guilt or innocence. How many American died for this fundamental right? How many Americans undermine this right by shirking jury duty?
Click to expand...

I am really torn by this. On the one hand I agree with you regarding jury service. On the other hand, people who are called up are often subjected to huge impositions on their time (read waste) by weasel lawyers who are being paid for what they do. As a small business of one, I can't afford to be gone for the amount of time it would take for even a simple trial anymore. For those that drag out for days or weeks... :what:
 
Picture a 15 year old stealing your car and killing himself with YOUR gun.........
You'll never sleep again !!
Click to expand...
You're absolutely correct.

I really like my car and I don't want some punk messing it up. And if my gun gets used by some idiot to kill himself or someone else, the police will mess it up while it's being held as evidence. I would indeed have nightmares about my car and my gun.

If some punk breaks into MY car and steals MY gun, explain to me why I should feel sorry if he kills himself? Sorry if this sounds harsh and uncaring, but ... I don't care. I was brought up to not steal things from other people. If I don't steal someone's gun, I can't accidently shoot myself with it. Pretty basic concept, IMHO.
 
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