A woman who could face jail after bringing a handgun over the New Jersey state line highlights the Garden State’s more restrictive gun laws that should be noted by visitors.
Shaneen Allen, a mother of two, was pulled over in what was supposed to be a routine traffic stop in Atlantic County, New Jersey, in 2013.
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Allen, 27, told the officer who pulled her over that she had a concealed carry permit from Pennsylvania and that she had her handgun with her. But because New Jersey doesn’t recognize other states’ gun laws, Allen continues to face charges that may cause her to serve several years in prison.
“The gun charge was not proper to begin with at all,”
Evan Nappen, Allen’s attorney, told FoxNews.com. “She made an honest mistake.”
Nappen said his client voluntarily gave the arresting officer her driver's license and gun license, following the directions she got during training she had received.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, guns carried into New Jersey can’t be loaded and must be secure in a gun box — a fastened case or package that is securely tied or locked in the trunk of a vehicle. Other restrictions apply to how and where weapons can be transported.
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Allen was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and for having hollow point bullets. According to Fox News, if she is convicted, “the illegal possession of the handgun is a second-degree felony punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of three years in prison.”
Fox News reported that Allen had no criminal record prior to the October 2013 arrest and had the .380 Bersa Thunder handgun for only a week before she was stopped in New Jersey. Nappen said his client had the gun for her protection since she had been robbed twice in the previous year.
This article does not constitute legal advice. Check the current gun laws of your state and destination before travel.
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