Attorney General Harris Shut Down by the Courts: CA “Shall Issue”
Concealed gun ruling stands: Foes can’t fight loosening of California permit standards
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
By Josh Richman jrichman@bayareanewsgroup.com
POSTED: 11/12/2014 12:30:19 PM PST| UPDATED: ABOUT 22 HOURS AGO
A court ruling that dramatically loosened California’s restrictions on concealed firearms came closer to taking effect Wednesday, as an appeals court quashed legal maneuvering that might have staved it off.
As a result, sheriffs all over California — including the Bay Area, where many are reluctant to grant concealed-carry permits — could soon have to hand them out based on nothing more than the applicant’s stated wish to carry a gun for self-defense.
Currently, some sheriffs require applicants to prove a specific threat to their safety requires a concealed weapon while other sheriffs don’t. Those in most urban counties hand out permits by the dozens; those in many less-populated rural counties hand them out by the thousands. The court ruling involved a San Diego sheriff’s restrictions.
The state is one step closer to removing the concealed weapons permit decision from police chiefs and sheriffs, said Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California. “We’re starting to smell the hint of freedom in the air, and it smells good,” he said.