In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Prosecutor protests CCW law: Busch office absent at screening meetings
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
Prosecutor protests CCW law: Busch office absent at screening meetings Monday, November 5, 2001By Ken Palmer JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
QUICK FACTS Concealed weapons - A law relaxing the criteria for a concealed weapons permit went into effect July 1. Since then, the Genesee County Gun Board has:Received 1,706 applications.Approved 1,212 applications.Denied 8 applications.The balance of the applications is in process.About the Genesee County Gun BoardThe board is made up of representatives from the prosecutor's office, sheriff's department and state police.It screens applications to make sure they comply with the state's new concealed weapons law, but it has no power to deny a permit to anyone who qualifies.The gun law says any citizen can have a gun permit unless he or she has been convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors, or has a history of mental illness.The prosecutor's office is refusing to participate in the final screening of applicants, who are not required to appear before the board. The move is seen as a protest of the board's decision not to interview applicants unless there are questions about their application. As it tries to keep pace with a stream of applicants, the Genesee County Gun Board is working without one of its members at least part of the time.County Prosecutor Arthur A. Busch is refusing to participate in the final screening of applicants who are not asked to appear before the board before they get a concealed weapons permit.The move apparently is a protest over the board's decision a few weeks ago not to interview everyone who applies for a gun permit. Applicants now are being brought before the board only if there are questions about their applications or background.Neither Busch nor other officials in his office responded to interview requests concerning the issue.So far, Busch's stance has had little or no impact on the permit process, and the board continues to meet weekly.Representatives from the other two agencies represented on the gun board - the Genesee County Sheriff's Department and state police at the Flint post - say they are processing applications as usual."I understand Prosecutor Busch's position," said Sheriff Robert J. Pickell. "He's the chairman of the gun board. He feels he has to do what he thinks is right."But Pickell and Lt. Dianne Garrison, commander of the Flint state police post, said the board decided it could not continue interviewing everyone who seeks a gun permit because of the huge volume of applications.Even after a month of meetings, the board was unable to make headway with the backlog, Garrison said."It's not that I don't see where the prosecutor is coming from, but I think there comes a point in time where you have to be realistic," she said.Michigan's "shall-issue" CCW law reduced the power of local gun boards, which previously decided who should be allowed to carry a gun based on need. Under the new law, which took effect July 1, a permit must be granted to anyone who meets the criteria.Some county prosecutors, including Livingston County Prosecutor David L. Morse, quit their gun boards after the law took effect, saying their role had become clerical. In those cases, the prosecutor was replaced by a civilian representative.Busch has criticized the law as poorly written and said there is no reliable way to screen people for mental illness. But he chose to remain on the gun board. The Genesee County panel is approving about 130 applications a week, with about 500 pending, county officials said. Last Wednesday, R.J. Antosik, a deputy chief assistant prosecutor who serves as chairman of the gun panel, brought the meeting to order and handled some procedural matters.But as board members prepared to screen a batch of applicants who would not have to appear before them, he announced that the prosecutor's office would vote 'no' due to "incomplete investigation" and left the meetingAntosik later returned to the meeting when the board interviewed applicants it previously had asked to attend.Under the new permit process, gun board members check driving records, criminal histories and sworn affidavits by applicants about their mental health history. Once the requirements are met, the board has no say over whether someone should have a gun permit.Garrison said the system is flawed because there is no reliable way to prove whether someone has been diagnosed with a mental illness.In any event, she said, it's "humanly impossible" for the board to interview everyone who applies for a gun permit. Some people who applied soon after the law took effect still are waiting for their permit, she said.Pickell said he sees no need to make applicants appear before the gun board unless there are questions about their application."I don't see any need to bring the public down and waste their time going before the gun board," he said. "What's the purpose of that, so I can look in their eyes?"Ken Palmer covers the judicial system. He can be reached at (810) 766-6313. http://fl.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20011105f5a1gunboard.frm
QUICK FACTS Concealed weapons - A law relaxing the criteria for a concealed weapons permit went into effect July 1. Since then, the Genesee County Gun Board has:Received 1,706 applications.Approved 1,212 applications.Denied 8 applications.The balance of the applications is in process.About the Genesee County Gun BoardThe board is made up of representatives from the prosecutor's office, sheriff's department and state police.It screens applications to make sure they comply with the state's new concealed weapons law, but it has no power to deny a permit to anyone who qualifies.The gun law says any citizen can have a gun permit unless he or she has been convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors, or has a history of mental illness.The prosecutor's office is refusing to participate in the final screening of applicants, who are not required to appear before the board. The move is seen as a protest of the board's decision not to interview applicants unless there are questions about their application. As it tries to keep pace with a stream of applicants, the Genesee County Gun Board is working without one of its members at least part of the time.County Prosecutor Arthur A. Busch is refusing to participate in the final screening of applicants who are not asked to appear before the board before they get a concealed weapons permit.The move apparently is a protest over the board's decision a few weeks ago not to interview everyone who applies for a gun permit. Applicants now are being brought before the board only if there are questions about their applications or background.Neither Busch nor other officials in his office responded to interview requests concerning the issue.So far, Busch's stance has had little or no impact on the permit process, and the board continues to meet weekly.Representatives from the other two agencies represented on the gun board - the Genesee County Sheriff's Department and state police at the Flint post - say they are processing applications as usual."I understand Prosecutor Busch's position," said Sheriff Robert J. Pickell. "He's the chairman of the gun board. He feels he has to do what he thinks is right."But Pickell and Lt. Dianne Garrison, commander of the Flint state police post, said the board decided it could not continue interviewing everyone who seeks a gun permit because of the huge volume of applications.Even after a month of meetings, the board was unable to make headway with the backlog, Garrison said."It's not that I don't see where the prosecutor is coming from, but I think there comes a point in time where you have to be realistic," she said.Michigan's "shall-issue" CCW law reduced the power of local gun boards, which previously decided who should be allowed to carry a gun based on need. Under the new law, which took effect July 1, a permit must be granted to anyone who meets the criteria.Some county prosecutors, including Livingston County Prosecutor David L. Morse, quit their gun boards after the law took effect, saying their role had become clerical. In those cases, the prosecutor was replaced by a civilian representative.Busch has criticized the law as poorly written and said there is no reliable way to screen people for mental illness. But he chose to remain on the gun board. The Genesee County panel is approving about 130 applications a week, with about 500 pending, county officials said. Last Wednesday, R.J. Antosik, a deputy chief assistant prosecutor who serves as chairman of the gun panel, brought the meeting to order and handled some procedural matters.But as board members prepared to screen a batch of applicants who would not have to appear before them, he announced that the prosecutor's office would vote 'no' due to "incomplete investigation" and left the meetingAntosik later returned to the meeting when the board interviewed applicants it previously had asked to attend.Under the new permit process, gun board members check driving records, criminal histories and sworn affidavits by applicants about their mental health history. Once the requirements are met, the board has no say over whether someone should have a gun permit.Garrison said the system is flawed because there is no reliable way to prove whether someone has been diagnosed with a mental illness.In any event, she said, it's "humanly impossible" for the board to interview everyone who applies for a gun permit. Some people who applied soon after the law took effect still are waiting for their permit, she said.Pickell said he sees no need to make applicants appear before the gun board unless there are questions about their application."I don't see any need to bring the public down and waste their time going before the gun board," he said. "What's the purpose of that, so I can look in their eyes?"Ken Palmer covers the judicial system. He can be reached at (810) 766-6313. http://fl.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20011105f5a1gunboard.frm
Comments