Matt Speckman, a former Turlock police sergeant, used to be in charge of processing concealed gun permits. Now retired, he'd like one himself.
"I'm not a gun nut," Speckman said. "But I've been involved in investigations of people now getting paroled who have probably been throwing darts at my picture in their cells."
Speckman, 49, attended the FBI academy, trained at a nationally recognized firearms course, earned an MBA, is studying for a Ph.D, toted a gun for 30 years and screened gun permit applicants for seven years.
Modesto Bee - DEBBIE NODA/dnoda@modbee.com Retired Turlock police officer, Matt Speckman. His application for a gun permit as a private citizen was rejected by both his former agency and the sheriff's department. April 9, 2010
Yet Turlock Police Chief Gary Hampton and Sheriff Adam Christianson, both of whom have approved gun permits for politicians and prominent businessmen, turned him down.
Speckman since has moved from Turlock and says he doesn't obsess about his safety. But reports about people who find favor with law enforcement executives despite relative lack of experience, he says, point up the arbitrary nature of concealed gun permits in California, where many agencies endure charges of political favoritism.
As commander of his former department's internal affairs, Speckman once investigated a former officer whose resignation was demanded in lieu of firing, he said. But Christianson approved a permit for the former officer two weeks before denying Speckman's, he said.
Having been on the other side, Speckman said he understands the heavy burden of determining good cause. What if someone granted a permit uses a gun recklessly? On the other hand, what if someone denied a permit later is harmed?
"I understand the need for case by case (discretion)," he said. "But the intent of the law is that someone who has more chance of being victimized should be given a permit.
"It's just gotten to the point where I wish there were something a little bit more standard."
He's experienced firsthand the threats that can follow people who work in the judicial system. That's one reason the list of people who have concealed weapons permits in Stanislaus County contains judges, deputy district attorneys and retired police officers.
In 1991, two men broke into Speckman's home when he was away and met him at the front door when he returned -- armed with his own handgun. He was ordered face-down on the front lawn.
"(The gunman) said, 'You're going to learn to die execution-style,' " Speckman recalled, and fired two or three rounds into the grass before fleeing.
The men later were arrested, sent to prison and paroled. Although Speckman since has moved, neighbors told him they twice saw the gunman lurking around his former home.
Sheriffs and police chiefs in California generally observe a court standard requiring them to judge a concealed weapon applicant's "good moral character" and "good cause."
It's among a minority of "may issue" states, while adults meeting lower standards for buying firearms can get permits for the asking in 37 "shall issue" states; Alaska and Vermont allow people to carry concealed weapons without permits.
Neither Christianson nor Hampton could be reached Friday, the same day a Bee article noted that Hampton takes political office into account when issuing permits. Two of seven he's approved are held by Turlock City Council members.
Speckman said Hampton refused to consider his application when his one-year permit expired a year after he retired, and referred him to the sheriff's office, which has licensed 52 Turlock residents.
"You do not meet our criteria for issuance," reads Christianson's June rejection letter to Speckman.
Speckman said he knew nothing about Hampton's unique request in 2008 to the sheriff asking him not to issue permits to Turlock residents without first sending them to Turlock police, until reading about it in recent Bee stories. Hampton's request came about the time Speckman retired; Christianson this week indicated he respects the request but retains authority to ignore it.
No one in Christianson's office said anything about the Turlock arrangement, Speckman said. So he took a $100 firearms refresher course and paid $108 in permit fees only to be turned away, he said.
"No one said to me, 'We don't do Turlock; don't waste your money because we're going to deny it,' " he said.
Sheriff Adam Christianson is scheduled to address the issue of concealed weapon permits in a meeting of the Madison Society Foundation at 7 p.m. Monday in the Stanislaus County Library, 1500 I St., Modesto.
Bee staff writer Garth Stapley can be reached at gstapley@modbee.com or 578-2390.
Under former Sheriff Jeff Neves, the policy for CCWs was altered, including a requirement that license renewals be handled the same as first-time applicants.
Popular Comment "If a person meets all the criteria they should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon. Proper training, clean record and yearly renewal requirements should be all that is necessary to receive a CCW.."
Given El Dorado County's Old West name, maybe it isn't surprising that the big issue in its biggest election this year is about carrying guns.
Everywhere the six non-incumbent candidates for sheriff go – even Monday's forum in an upscale retirement community – Topic A has been who gets a license to carry a concealed weapon.
"That's El Dorado County for you," said Paula Lee, League of Women Voters moderator for that forum. "They ask it over and over just because they want to hear these candidates' commitment to what they want."
Those candidates in the June election – John D'Agostini, Larry Hennick, Ernest Hillman, Robert Luca, George Nielsen and Craig Therkildsen – don't argue whether the licenses, known as CCWs (carry concealed weapon) should be easier to get.
They differ only on just how much easier it should be, and sometimes that difference is hard to discern.
"I don't think there's more than 5 percent difference in all of us," said Therkildsen, currently a captain with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.
Yet the question persists.
"The NRA is very strong in El Dorado County," Lee said.
Gun control is not.
"My personal goal is to bring this CCW thing in as the prime issue," said Ken Greenwood, an NRA supporter and an instructor in firearms safety.
When it comes down to it, Greenwood and the sheriff candidates appear to be campaigning against former Sheriff Jeff Neves, who resigned at the end of last year.
Interim Sheriff Fred Kollar is not running.
Under Neves, the policy for CCWs was altered, including a requirement that license renewals be handled the same as first-time applicants.
"In the last year and a half of his term he seemed to tighten up the restrictions," said Luca, a retired chief of the California Bureau of Investigation.
Statistics are not available, but candidates tell of people, some with longtime licenses, who were suddenly denied.
Deb Risley is one who said this happened to her.
Her original license was acquired after a brutal beating that sent her attacker to prison and put her in fear for her personal safety.
"I stuttered for over a year afterward," she said.
She still fears loud noises and motorcyclists, she said, because her biker attacker kicked down a door to beat her. But when he was due to be paroled to the neighboring county and Risley went to renew her license in 2006, it was turned down.
"They just said you don't have significant necessity, but none of the reasons had changed," Risley said.
Though he could not comment on specific cases, sheriff's spokesman Lt. Bryan Golmitz suggested the issue was one more of perception than reality.
"I believe where most of the controversy comes in the renewal process (is) because the holder must complete the same steps as the first-time applicant," Golmitz said in an e-mail response to questions. "Also, if just cause is no longer present it would be basis for no renewal."
Permit holders are down from last year, from more than 700 to 628. However, contrary to what sheriff's critics say, applications have risen, not fallen.
As much as gun advocates feel that Risley has good cause for a permit, some candidates don't think applicants should need that kind of reason.
Some candidates say "personal protection" is a sufficient cause, without any specific threat.
Hennick, a 32-year deputy and most outspoken candidate on this issue, likes to use two short phrases: "U.S. citizen" and "apply and receive."
The first, he says, is sufficient to satisfy state rules that CCW holders should have a "good cause."
"Apply and receive" is Hennick's slogan for issuing the licenses, suggesting that any resident who passes firearms training and a criminal background check should receive a CCW if they apply.
The approach is like what exists in 43 states, known as "shall issue" states.
California is a "may issue" state, where sheriffs have some leeway in issuing CCWs, leading to discrepancies from county to county.
Most of the El Dorado candidates favor changing California's law to "shall issue."
The effect of that is unclear.
Gun control advocates foresee chaos like that lampooned recently in "Doonesbury" cartoons about people carrying weapons in coffee shops.
Gun rights supporters say bad guys will act better if they don't know who carries a gun.
The evidence is mixed, said Garen Wintemute, emergency medicine physician and director of UC Davis' Violence Prevention Research Project.
"Neither side has been correct," he said.
On the one hand, under shall-issue-style conditions, as was the case in Isleton for a while, "people who got permits there were twice as likely to be arrested for a violent crime elsewhere," he said.
However, overall crime rates don't seem to rise, perhaps because many new permittees – and most of those arrested – were people already carrying guns illicitly, Wintemute said.
In any case, it's suitable that El Dorado voters get to hear the discussion, he said.
"I think it's good that they are being presented with an array of options," Wintemute said. "It gives them a chance to decide."
Help Stand Up for a Constitutional Right to Hunt in the Golden State!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Please Make Your Voices Heard Today!
An important bill for the future of hunting and fishing in California will be considered on Tuesday, April 13 by the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee.
ACA 11, sponsored by Assemblyman Bill Berryhill (R-26), would advance a constitutional right to hunt and fish amendment in California. Although hunting has been the spearhead of conservation, anti-hunting radicals have continually attempted to end the great heritage in the Golden State. The language of the constitutional amendment is currently being refined to ensure that sportsmen are protected for generations to come.
Please contact the members of the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee and respectfully urge them to support ACA 11. Contact information for the committees can be found below.
Local - Crime & Courts Tuesday, Apr. 13, 2010 Stanislaus County sheriff signs pledge to make gun permits easier In surprise move, Christianson promises to view protection as 'good cause' By Garth Stapley gstapley@modbee.com
People with a clean record who want to carry a gun will have a much better chance at snagging a concealed weapon permit, Sheriff Adam Christianson said Monday, drawing thunderous applause from firearms advocates.
The stunning change in policy comes as Christianson prepares to lay off dozens of deputies because of budget cuts. He has released 300 inmates to comply with new state rules.
The sheriff, who is running for re-election on the June 8 ballot, stood grim-faced during a 12-minute introduction at Monday's public meeting of the Madison Society, whose leaders have criticized Christianson for being stingy with gun permits. He had told them -- and The Bee as recently as two weeks ago -- that he would not sign a pledge accepting self-protection as "good cause" for licensing. AY Madison AY Madison AY Madison AY Madison AY Madison AY Madison AY Madison Modesto Bee - ALISON YIN/ayin@modbee.com Members of the Madison Society and community listen to Sheriff Adam Christianson as he addresses a full crowd at a public meeting regarding concealed gun permits in Modesto, Calif., Monday, Apr. 12, 2010.
Given the stage Monday, Christianson shocked a standing-room-only audience of more than 100 by immediately signing the pledge with a flourish.
"I'm not going to infringe upon your right to protect yourselves," the sheriff said. "You are more likely to get a gun permit when you apply for one."
The pledge reads, in part: "As sheriff, self-protection shall always constitute good cause for the issuance of a permit to carry a concealed wea-pon as that term is defined in (the) California Penal Code."
During a question-answer session, many audience members said Christianson had denied their applications. But they seemed reluctant to grill a sheriff who had just signed the pledge.
Christianson encouraged many to reapply, providing his personal phone number to several former rejects.
They included Ollie Usher, who said he had a permit for five years before being turned down, and Mark Wallace, who was among several Turlock residents who said they were angry about their police chief's conservative approach to gun permits. Of seven issued by that department, two are held by city councilmen.
People in the audience began snickering when it became apparent that many asking questions Monday were from Turlock. Christianson asked those from that city to raise their hands, and he laughed with the audience when a few dozen shot up.
The sheriff continued playing to the crowd, telling stories about assault rifles on open display in Montana stores, where he grew up and took his family on vacation last year.
A farmer said he often irrigates fields in the early morning. The sheriff brought down the house when he responded, "Straight up; I give all ag (people) a gun permit because I know you guys are carrying a gun anyway."
He added, "I'm laying off deputies, and we've got more bad guys; you won't have a problem."
The sheriff said 582 people throughout Stanislaus County hold two-year permits. He personally approved all after background checks by staff members.
When Wayne Elam of Hickman asked about rising application fees, the sheriff pointed to a public hearing scheduled for April 27. Christianson will ask county supervisors to increase the charge from $13 to $115, which is about half the cost to process applications, he said.
Christianson must reduce his department's yearly budget of about $80 million by 10 percent, or about $8 million. He is expected to reveal layoff intentions along with the county's 26 other departments, also on April 27.
Christianson's challenger, Turlock police Capt. Rob Jackson, declined to sign the Madison Society's pledge when he addressed the group last month.
The Madison Society, a Modesto-based group known nationally for pushing pro-gun litigation, was instrumental in a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court ruling reversing a gun ban in Washington, D.C.
For an April 4 Bee story, Christianson had said the ruling "has nothing to do with California," where loaded firearms are legal in homes and businesses. Carrying concealed weapons in public is a different matter, the sheriff said at the time, and should remain up to the local law enforcement executive charged with judging good cause and good moral character.
Christianson on Monday warned people to come clean on applications, noting it's a felony to submit false or fraudulent information.
After the meeting, many people in the audience said they were thrilled with the news.
"He's right -- there are not enough deputies out there," said Bob Winston, a Modesto attorney. "What does law enforcement do? They come after the fact and try to clean up the mess, which doesn't help the poor victim lying in a pool of blood. You're on your own."
Bee staff writer Garth Stapley can be reached at gstapley@modbee.com or 578-2390.
Carrying guns in public might only be outlawed at the courthouse and the jailhouse under one of at least two major firearms bills expected to be before state lawmakers this year.
Lawmakers don’t officially converge on the state Capitol until next week for a session expected to focus mainly on bleak revenues and budget cuts.
But already the firearms bill that might bring about the most sweeping changes is set Thursday to go before a House committee for a first hearing.
Its sponsor, state Rep. Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica), championed the law change in 2008 that allows Georgians who have the proper permits to carry guns at state parks, on mass transit and in restaurants where alcohol is served. Some areas of airports also would have been covered, but that provision was thrown out in court.
The law is believed to have helped spark a statewide increase in gun permit applications.
Bearden’s latest bill would eliminate almost all of Georgia’s public assembly restrictions, including those for churches and college campuses. Exceptions would keep guns out of courthouses, prisons and other facilities that house criminals.
“This bill will finally clarify for citizens, judges and law enforcement where you can and cannot carry your firearm,” said Bearden, a former police officer.
Senate Majority Whip Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) has his own firearms bill in the works.
Like Bearden’s bill, Seabaugh’s legislation is expected to zero in on the public gathering restrictions, but it would also make clear that guns would be banned from government buildings, courtrooms, jails and prisons, private and public K-12 schools, and student housing on college campuses.
Additionally, he said, his bill, which he is expected to introduce next week, would let private property owners decide whether they want to allow guns on their property. This would include churches, restaurants and bars.
“The driving force is clarity, not expansion” of the existing law, said Seabaugh, who was chairman of a study committee on the topic.
Seabaugh called the existing law "vague and confusing," saying that "even law enforcement has widespread confusion over how to enforce the law."
Both bills are expected to be opposed by gun safety groups, as well as organizations that are against allowing firearms on college campuses.
The University System of Georgia supports the current law, which outlaws guns within 1,000 feet of a college campus by anyone other than law enforcement, spokesman John Millsaps said.
Alice Johnson, founder of Georgians for Gun Safety, said her group will oppose Bearden’s bill and the loosening of restrictions on guns on college campuses and at schools and day care centers.
“We opposed that, believing there are some places where guns do not belong at all except in the hands of law enforcement,” Johnson said.
Bearden and Seabaugh both acknowledge that their bills will have tough competition for legislators’ attention, with major issues such as the budget and unemployment looming.
“But I also think this is a very important issue, especially with the Second Amendment applying to states hanging in the Supreme Court,” Bearden said. “We’ll give it a shot.”
The Supreme Court is expected sometime this year to hear McDonald v. City of Chicago, a lawsuit challenging a city gun-control ordinance. Some gun groups have expressed concern that it could lead to tighter restrictions.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle last year said he had “no appetite” for revisiting the state’s concealed weapons law.
This week, spokeswoman Jailene Hunter said Cagle’s top priorities for this year’s session are balancing the budget and job creation. “However, he looks forward to discussing this issue, as well as a host of others, with senators,” Hunter said.
Jerry Henry, executive director of the gun rights group GeorgiaCarry.Org, said his organization is backing Bearden’s bill.
“The really bad thing about Georgia gun laws is they are so vague. ... It takes an attorney -- almost -- to find out if [you have the right to carry a gun],” Henry said. “Laws should be black and white.”
Asked what he thinks of a bill signed this week by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger limiting the purchase of some ammunition, gun shop owner Scott Ludwig had a blunt response.
";What I think can't be printed in a newspaper,"; said Ludwig, owner of Camarillo Shooters Supply.
He later said he sees ";absolutely no way the law will benefit the public."; For starters, Ludwig worries that AB 962, signed Sunday by Schwarzenegger, will put an unfair burden on dealers such as himself.
Many others, however, praised the bill.
";Any legislation that keeps weapons and ammunition out of the hands of those in our community responsible for violence is something that we embrace and fully support,"; Oxnard Mayor Tom Holden said.
The measure, the first statewide act regulating the sale of ammunition, will require Ludwig and thousands of other dealers to document every sale of handgun ammunition and keep those records for at least five years Read Full Article...
Gun Owners Take Aim at OC Sheriff
Full Disclosure Network(R) Covers Armed Citizen Revolt Video News Blog (15 min) WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Full Disclosure Network(R) presents Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, the National Rifle Association's Ed Worley and, former OC Sheriff Lt. Bill Hunt in a fifteen minute online video news report covering the new policy implemented by Sheriff Hutchens regarding issuing CCW's in Orange County. The video report is hosted by Leslie Dutton, an Emmy Award winning producer of the public affairs cable TV and Internet program. The Video is available here at the URL: http://www.fulldisclosure.net/Blogs/79.php
Citizen gun owners who attended a hearing before the Orange County Board of Supervisors testified, stating their dissatisfaction with the Sheriff's policy and the fact that she was not elected to office. Many suggested that Sheriff Hutchens has her own agenda, is intending to impose the Los Angeles County policies on the citizens of Orange County and the Board of Supervisors should distance themselves from her policy.
During the testimony, Sheriff Hutchens stood her ground refuting the citizen's interpretation of her new policy saying, "I do not see this as a Second Amendment Issue. The policy does not impact the right to have a gun at home or in a place of business."
Bill Hunt, a former OC Sheriff's Lieutenant, who is expected to challenge Sheriff Hutchens in the 2010 election was critical of Sheriffs and other Police Chiefs who do not share the fundamental beliefs in values held in the communities which they serve.
The following points were made during the citizen testimony:
-- Why should permits be given only to those who transport large sums of money? -- Personal protection and family protection should be considered as primary issue.
-- Restricting use of Concealed Carry Weapon permits does not make the county safer.
Viewers are asked to participate in an online opinion survey at the end of the video and to leave comments on the video blog for discussion.
WATCH THESE RELATED VIDEOS:
Concealed Weapons Win Support From Top Cops: (8:26 min)
Sheriff's Debate Badges & Guns For Donors: (7:48 min)
Los Angeles vs Orange County Sheriffs Debate Concealed Weapons (4:05 min)
Contact: Leslie Dutton 310-822-4449
SOURCE Full Disclosure Network
“Governator” And California Lawmakers Approve Firearm Owner Registration Scheme
Friday, October 16, 2009
This week, Governor Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) signed yet another severe, but impotent gun control measure into law.Assembly Bill 962, which takes effect on February 1, 2011, mandates individuals purchasing ammunition to be fingerprinted and registered at the time of sale and outlaws mail order ammunition purchases.AB 962 will also require dealers to maintain these records indefinitely and make them available for inspection by the California Department of Justice.As an additional burden, ammunition retailers will also be required to store ammunition away from purchasers.AB 962 failed to garner support from Attorney General Brown, or any law enforcement organization.In fact, 15 sheriffs wrote letters of opposition to this legislation.
“This law presents intrusive and unnecessary burdens that will only affect law-abiding firearm retailers and gun owners…not criminals,” said NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox.“At a time when California is facing dire budget problems, California has squandered valuable resources in policing law-abiding Californians instead of investing in substantive measures that target criminals.More than two decades ago, Congress abolished similar requirements at the federal level because ammunition sales records were found to be ineffective for solving crimes.It is indeed regrettable that foolish minds and bogus arguments prevailed over common sense and empirical evidence.”
Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed Senate Bill 585, a bill that would have prohibited the sale of firearms and ammunition at Cow Palace in Daly City, just outside of San Francisco.He also signed Senate Bill 175, which will exempt gunsmiths from a vague California law.This exemption will now allow for the exchange of a firearm to or from a gunsmith for purposes of service or repair.
“Governor Schwarzenegger acted in the interest of good public policy with his actions on SB 585 and SB 175.But, in signing AB 962, he has paved the way for one of the most intrusive and ineffective gun control laws that California has seen in recent years,” said Cox.
NRA will review all possible legislative and legal options to remove this draconian requirement from California statute.
By Andrea Calcagno
October 19, 2009
MEDFORD, Ore. - Regulations on handgun ammunition sales are increasing in California.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law that takes effect in 2011 requiring any seller of handgun ammunition to fingerprint customers and keep a log of information about ammunition sales.
Some business owners say the added restrictions and information may cause gun owners to head north to Oregon.
"What it will promote people doing is going out of state to buy. Like we live pretty close to the Oregon border and its not very far up to Ashland or Medford where they can purchase ammunition all they want ,or all they can get, I should say," said Drake Davis, Owner of Don's Sporting Goods.
Representatives with Black Bird Shopping Center in Medford says it sees Californians coming in to buy ammo.
"I think we'll probably see a lot more just on the basis of a matter of principle. People going on vacation or going on a trip will probably rather buy up here than go through the extra tedium down there to acquire what they need," said Josh Robbins with Black Bird Shopping Center.
In Oregon, and previously in California, a person only needed to show proof of age to buy ammunition.
California lawmakers say the law is designed to track criminals using handguns to commit crimes. Similar laws have previously been enacted in 13 California cities.
"Criminals don't follow the law, that's why they're criminals. The only people it hurts is the law abiding citizens of California," Davis said.
The law also prohibits buying handgun ammunition online. All hand gun ammunition sales must be done in person.
Valley Gun Advocates Concerned over Newly Signed Ammunition Bill
At The Range Pistol Club in Fresno, news of Assembly Bill 962's passing triggers some doubt.
"It's not going to do anything to directly prevent ammunition from falling in the hands of people who are under the age of 21 or possible criminals," Will Ayres, sales associate at The Range, said.
The public safety bill, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger Thursday, stops all online ammunition sales, requires that all face to face ammunition sales be recorded and made available for the Department of Justice and requires the buyer to provide a driver's license and their fingerprints.
"Today, we are highlighting another very important bill I signed to help make our communities safer by keeping deadly ammunition out of the hands of criminals, gang members and violent felons," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said.
But over at The Range, they say they already require valid id's to buy ammunition. And without doing background checks, the new bill won't really change much except demand more work from employees, and possibly lead to higher prices.
"If they have a valid driver's license and they're over the age of 21, anybody can purchase handgun ammunition. Even now," Ayres said.
"My number one priority has always been public safety and protecting the people," Governor Schwarzenegger said.
As for now, these gun advocates will continue to watch Sacramento and hope it doesn't pull the trigger on their rights.
"We're always concerned with what could be on the desk next," Ayres said.
But the Governor argues what's on his desk now could save lives in the future.
KMPH contacted several supporters of the bill, but no one wanted to comment on the issue.
The National Rifle Association has already announced it will be sponsoring legislation to repeal Assembly Bill 962.
Those hearings are expected to go before the state legislature next January.
Assembly Bill 962 is set to go into effect February 1st, 2011.
