This time, a Maryland man accepts a plea deal for a lesser gun charge to avoid a 15 year prison sentence for leaving his pistol mistakenly in a hotel safe in New York City. The New York Daily news notes this is becoming more common. That is because New York City is increasingly very out of step with the rest of America when it comes to Second Amendment rights. You’ve also have people hearing “The Supreme Court says it’s a right,” without following the issue closely enough to know, even though it applies in New York City, that it’s only a technicality. Practically it does not yet, and don’t expect Bloomberg to change anything until the courts force him to, and even then, I’m not sure whether he will.
H/T to SayUncle
It isn’t up to Bloomberg. The state legislature is responsible.
IIRC NY doesn’t have preemption. As a result, NYC’s gun laws are far more strict than those in the rest of the state.
Yes, it does. NYC was granted home rule on issuing pistol licenses. The law in question is state law, not local.
I’m in favor of gun rights. These people are too stupid to own guns. Ask to check a gun in NYC? Forget your gun in a hotel safe, when you know hotel employees can open your room safe? These people don’t make arguing for gun rights easier.
Here’s a comment by “losveritas” on the story at the NY Daily News link above:
Nice of you to roll up into 1 concise story, all of the white folk recently caught with guns. Plaxs gun was registered, why did he have to become a felon. So was Lil Wayne’s gun. There were no no-jails deals on the table. Astounding is how Bloomy, piles on Plax, to get him sentenced, after winning the city a Super Bowl.. Then when some cokehead nurse, white of course, no contribution to our city, (besides buying local coke) is caught at the 9/11 memorial, state senators and councilmen, are pleading for mercy. prodigy, ja rule, plaxico burress, and lil wayne all did one year or more in jail, for the same charges. they are all black… lets see how much time TOTAL, these white folk get. Furthermore, why couldnt we see all of their pics? Again, because they are white. Had no problem showing the dead 45 year old on New Years.
I am not registered to comment on the NY Daily News site, and I don’t feel like registering there, so I will respond here to this idiotic and factually-incorrect comment here instead.
Plaxs gun was registered, why did he have to become a felon.
Plaxico Burress had an expired CCW permit in Florida on the night in November 2008 when he recklessly endangered public safety in Manhattan by accidentally discharging his Glock in a crowded nightclub. Plaxico’s Glock was not registered in New York, or in New Jersey, where Plaxico Burress had a home at that time. This is why he became a felon.
So was Lil Wayne’s gun. There were no no-jails deals on the table.
That gun was registered to Don Rhys, Lil Wayne’s manager, not Lil Wayne. Lil Wayne was also in possession of marijuana at the time of this NYC arrest in 2007. Despite being charged with combination of drug-and-gun possession offenses, Lil Wayne was offered a deal of 1-year prison sentence, of which he only had to serve 8 months.
Astounding is how Bloomy, piles on Plax, to get him sentenced, after winning the city a Super Bowl..
Bloomy’s urging for Plaxico Burress to get at the least a minimum sentence of 3.5 years in prison were ultimately ignored – Plaxico Burress was given a deal of 2 years in prison and 2 years of probation, and he was released from prison more than 3 months early. Being on a hometown team that won a sports championship does not excuse Plaxico Burress from breaking the law, either.
Then when some cokehead nurse, white of course, no contribution to our city, (besides buying local coke) is caught at the 9/11 memorial, state senators and councilmen, are pleading for mercy.
This “losveritas” commenter is now obviously just repeating Mayor Bloomy’s lie to the media about Meredith Graves possessing cocaine, which in fact was an over the counter headache medicine, when Meredith Graves was arrested at the 9/11 memorial site for possession of her pistol, a pistol which she was legally permitted to carry in her home state of Tennessee at the time of her arrest in NYC. I would also place more stock in this nurse’s contributions to society than some overpaid professional athlete’s any day.
prodigy, ja rule, plaxico burress, and lil wayne all did one year or more in jail, for the same charges. they are all black…
No, “losveritas” they were not all the same charges. I have already pointed out the stark differences with the criminal charges in NYC against Plaxico Burress and Lil Wayne. Here’s the deal with these other two you mentioned:
Prodigy: This black recording artist already had a previous felony conviction in New York for gun possession, along with other (illegal drug?) felony convictions, at the time of his sentencing in 2007 for a 2006 arrest in NYC on a gun charge. Despite this, Prodigy was offered a plea deal of 3.5 years in prison instead of receiving a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years.
Ja Rule: Like Prodigy, this is another black recording artist who already had previous convictions (marijuana possession and driving on a suspended license) in New York when he was arrested on a gun charge in New York City on the same day as Lil Wayne and Don Rhys, Lil Wayne’s manager, on drug and gun possession charges. Although the mandatory minimum for gun possession charges in New York is supposed to be 3.5 years, Ja Rule was offered a 2-year sentence deal in exchange for pleading guilty to his gun charge.
lets see how much time TOTAL, these white folk get.
It seems that NONE of these “white folk” who are legal to carry their guns in their home states and states with reciprocal agreements, but have also been arrested recently in NYC on gun possession charges, also have prior criminal convictions like Prodigy or Ja Rule, or also endangered public safety by discharging their guns like Plaxico Burress, or were also using illegal drugs at the time of their arrests like Lil Wayne. I would say that NONE of these “white folk” really ought to spend any time in New York’s jails whatsoever.
Furthermore, why couldnt we see all of their pics? Again, because they are white.
Well, we certainly got to see a big photo of this white guy Stephen Grant in front of the courthouse, right? There have been countless times when people of all races have been arrested in New York City and their pictures were not published in the media. It all depends on so many variables. When the super-wealthy French white guy Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested in New York City over what amounted to a fabricated rape accusation by black hotel housekeeper, his picture was all over the media. So much for the race-bating there, “losvertas”.
Had no problem showing the dead 45 year old on New Years.
This is apparently a reference to James Ramseur, one of the four then-teenagers who were shot by Bernard Goetz in 1984 as they loomed over him on a NYC subway train and aggressively asked him to hand over some money. James Ramseur was found dead of an apparent drug overdose in a motel exactly 27 years to the day of his being shot by Bernard Goetz. An old file photo of James Ramseur being arrested in 1985 was published by the New York Daily News when the story of his demise was published. My reaction to this last point by “losveritas” : So what?
So as we can see, “losveritas” made a pathetic attempt at race-baiting the readers of the NY Daily News over how affluent black entertainment and sports celebrities supposedly get much harsher treatment than non-celebrity and white out-of-state legal gun carriers by the courts in New York when these two distinct categories of people get arrested on gun charges in New York City. When the facts are fully presented as I have done above, we can see just how disingenuous this comment by “losveritas” actually was.
Ronnie:
Well written.
Says all that needs to be said.