Saturday, August 16, 2008

California Sheriff makes self-defense more difficult

Orange County, California Sheriff Sandra Hutchens has issued new permit-issuance guidelines, making it more difficult to obtain a carry permit:
Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens on Monday released a policy that could lead to the revocation of dozens, if not hundreds, of concealed-weapons permits issued by former Sheriff Michael S. Carona.

Hutchens' new policy requires that to get a concealed-firearm permit, applicants must prove there is a legitimate threat to their safety and agree to undergo possible psychological, polygraph or medical testing.
...
"The good-cause threshold you have to meet has gone up," Nighswonger said. "The prior sheriff had more of a right-to-carry philosophy. Some of the things that were considered good cause won't be now."

The first order of business for Nighswonger's staff will be to review pending applications and renewals to see if the applicants are eligible for permits. Once those decisions are made, investigators will look at the 1,100 active permits, probably starting in alphabetical order, he said.

"We don't see the numbers dropping to a few hundred, but there will be some who don't apply and some who have their permits denied or revoked," Nighswonger said.

In a letter to the public posted on the department's blog, Hutchens explained that she will issue the permits "to persons of good and upstanding character who possess credible, significant and substantiated cause to fear for their safety."
...

Article here. This is why having the Supreme Court rule that the Second Amendment applies to the states, and requires a high standard of constitutional review, is so important.

No comments: