“
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- On January 2, 2009, Brian was visiting his
parents in Mount Laurel while taking a break from moving to nearby
Hoboken.
- After Brian’s former wife canceled his scheduled
visit
with his son, he became distraught and said something to the effect of
“life’s not worth living anymore” to his mother and drove away.
- His mother, a trained social worker, became
worried
about a possible suicide risk and called 9-1-1 but hung up after having
second thoughts.
- Law enforcement traced the call and soon arrived
at
the scene. The police called Brian, who was on his way to his new
residence in Hoboken, and asked him to return to his parents’ home
because they were worried.
- When he returned, the cops searched his vehicle
and
found two handguns, both locked and unloaded as New Jersey law
requires, inside the trunk, in a box stuffed into a duffel bag with
clothes.
- Brian was arrested and, according to his
attorney, the subsequent trial and conviction were the “perfect storm
of injustice.”
- New Jersey allows exemptions for gun owners to
transport weapons if the move is for hunting purposes or if the person
is relocating, but the Superior Court judge who heard Brian’s case
refused to allow this statute exemption to be read to the jury.
- After two and half days of deliberation, the
jury returned a guilty verdict and Aitken was convicted and sentenced
to seven years in prison!
- Governor Christie commuted Brian’s
sentence to time served.
- It's stuff like this that can, and likelly will
someday, trigger a peasant's revolt.
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Ha, ha, on the ex-judge.
ReplyDeletemary
But if the gov only commuted the sentence and didn't issue a pardon Brian is still a convicted felon and lost his rights to vote and own weapon. Still a travesty of justice.
ReplyDelete-embycil
The story isn't over yet, friend. Word on the street is he didn't want a pardon. A pardon would leave a shadow on him and a precedent in the law. He is appealing the conviction entirely to have it overturned. Big win over little win and I applaud him for taking the hard route.
ReplyDeleteHe has also become a rallying point for other gun owners that have had their rights violated. You can track what's happening with him on:
http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=17516&ref_query=my+likes#!/FreeBrianAitken
Brian has also become involved. The antigun judge created a monster he wasn't expecting.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pitchengine.com/brian-aitken-announces-new-position-with-liberty-think-tank/120538/
AWM (previous post mine too)
Part of accepting a pardon is an admission that you were guilty of the crime for which you were convicted. This undermines any possible appeal. IANAL, TG.
ReplyDeletePossessing a weapon for self defense is a "natural right" in my book. You can be sent to jail for doing so illegally, but I believe you still have the right. Render unto Caesar, etc.
And, why yes, I live in a low-tax, "shall issue" state.
I blame the mother. You risk ruining the life of anyone you get the police interested in.
ReplyDeleteLaurence
A lot of old folks are still under the delusion that we live in a society of laws, and that cops serve them and not just the well connected.
ReplyDeleteYou have to be careful about what you tell old folks, as they will blab stuff to cops and other rascals.