A young man in New Jersey was recently arrested for carrying a loaded gun in the glove compartment of his car. Because he pled guilty to his charges, he now has a felony record and is unable to move forward with his dream of becoming a police officer.
However that same man is now seeking a pardon for his offense. In his eyes, people in New Jersey who legally own guns are treated like felons, simply for exercising their right to bear arms. He currently has 85 thousand signatures on his online petition for a pardon. However, as evidenced by the recent segment on Fox News, there appears to be a great deal of controversy regarding this man's charges.
Whose rights is New Jersey protecting?
Attorney Erin Ehrlich was featured on the recent segment and called the issue of gun control a "delicate dance." On the one hand, there is a commitment to protect citizens from gun violence. But on the other, there is also a commitment to protect citizens lawfully seeking to bear arms under the Second Amendment.
Ms. Ehrlich noted that New Jersey is currently in favor of putting the first interest over the second one. Unfortunately, they may have taken things too far by kicking the second interest off the dance floor entirely. According to Ms. Ehrlich, "We need to be able to hunt sharks without killing dolphins."
Ms. Ehrlich then went on to assume that the man's story is true. He had a meticulous background, no criminal history, and went through all of the legal requirements to receive a permit to lawfully carry a gun. A week later, he simply messed up and forgot the gun was in his car. Does that mean he should be considered a felony? According to those on the other side of the coin, this man has been rightfully punished for his mistake.
You can view the full segment by clicking here.
You can learn more about Ms. Ehrlich and our entire team at Ehrlich, Petriello, Gudin, Plaza & Reed, Attorneys at Law by exploring our firm's website! We are a New Jersey law firm focusing on a wide variety of practice areas, including criminal defense, estate planning, and family law.
