VIDEO: The Second Amendment Foundation this week filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against several New Jersey officials for deprivation of civil rights under color of law. SAF is joined in the lawsuit by the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, Inc. and six private citizens whose applications for permits to carry have been denied generally on the grounds that they have not shown a “justifiable need.” One of the plaintiffs is a kidnap victim, another is a part-time sheriff’s deputy, a third carries large amounts of cash in his private business and another is a civilian employee of the FBI in New Jersey who is fearful of attack from a radical Islamic fundamentalist group. Plaintiffs are represented by attorneys David D. Jensen and Robert P. Firriolo with the firm of Duane Morris, LLP in Newark.
Named as defendants in the case are three Superior Court judges, Philip J. Maenza, Morris County; Rudolph A. Filko, Passaic County and Edward A. Jerejian of Bergen County, plus Col. Rick Fuentes, superintendent of the State Police, Hammonton Police Chief Frank Ingemi and New Jersey Attorney General Paula T. Dow.
“Law-abiding New Jersey citizens have been arbitrarily deprived of their ability to defend themselves and their families for years under the state’s horribly-crafted laws,” said SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “The law grants uncontrolled discretion to police chiefs and other public officials to deny license applications even in cases where the applicant has shown a clear and present danger exists.
“If being a kidnap victim, or part-time law enforcement officer, or the potential target of a known radical group does not clearly demonstrate a justifiable need,” he continued, “the defendants need to explain what would. Do citizens need guns to their heads or knives to their throats before the state considers their need to be justified?
“Supreme Court rulings have made it clear that the Second Amendment prohibits states from completely banning the carrying of handguns for self-defense,” Gottlieb said. “Nor may states deny citizens the right to carry handguns in non-sensitive places or deprive them of the right to carry in an arbitrary and capricious manner. That’s what is happening today in New Jersey, and we intend to stop it.”
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers and an amicus brief and fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.
VIDEO of a Lakewood businessman training at a local range.
Its a sad state of affairs when a state has to be sued in order to force it to not trample on its citizens basic human rights
Its a total insanity. The right to bear arms was put in place in order to allow citizens the right to protect THEMSELVES. But as everything in the sick liberal state (no pun intended) in which this country is headed- whereas we cannot nor are we allowed to make our own decisions in regards to practically everything we do, eat and drink, in order to protect us from ourselves. Protecting ourselves from others has also become a government job.
I commend the SAF for standing up to these so-called “Liberals” who stand for nothing more than undermining our very Liberties granted and entrusted by The One Above.
Remember that the original purpose of the second ammendment – the right for private citizens to bear arms – was to protect ourselves from the GOVERNMENT.
Now more than ever we need that right, and the liberals are doing everything they can to prevent us from arming ourselves and defending ourselves against THEM (the liberal elites).
So that when they finally take over the country and take away our liberties, we will not be able to defend ourselves.
I’m surprised you posted a picture of someone with a gun in his pocket.
I’m not getting something here. The article says “six private citizens whose applications for permits to carry have been denied”.
Calm down everyone, The issue has nothing to do with the 2nd amendment.
This is about a “permit to carry a concealed weapon”.
permit to carry and permit to purchase are two totally different things. Here in NJ its almost impossible to get a permit to carry .