New Sheriff to Revoke Permits from Those Without "Demonstrated Need"

This L.A. Times article illustrates the manifest injustice of "may-issue" concealed carry permitting systems, where the whims of one person (sheriff, police chief) determines whether you have a "good enough" reason to have a permit.

[New Sheriff] Hutchens said she intends to review each permit and determine whether the gun owners demonstrated an immediate fear for their safety or held an occupation so inherently dangerous that they needed to carry concealed weapons in public. [emphasis added]

"The important thing to me is they need to have demonstrated a need," Hutchens said.

And if there's no need, she'll revoke the permits. "That's probably not going to be popular with a lot of people," she said.

Predictably, under a may-issue system those with the right connections -- the wealthy, the politically powerful or well connected, celebrities, and those part of "the system" such as judges and prosecutors -- get permits. Ordinary folks who just want to be able to defend themselves and their loved ones -- not so much. Or at least not without jumping through a lot of bureaucratic hoops, and a lot of luck.

When former Sheriff Michael S. Carona resigned in January to focus on his upcoming federal corruption trial, he had issued more than 1,100 active carry permits -- among the most issued by any sheriff or police chief in the state. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, by contrast, has issued fewer than 400.

Wow. Imagine that Los Angeles County, with a population of almost 10 million, has less than 400 carry permit holders. Orange County, with a population of about 3 million, has only issued around 1,100 permits -- and that's the most issued by any sheriff or police chief in the entire state of California, which has a population of over 36 million people.