citizenguardian
New member
Hi all,
I have a question for anyone with _experience_ going before the CT state pistol permit review board. I live in New Haven, and the police chief here has apparently decided he's not going to obey the law when it comes to issuing pistol permits. The statutory limit for their deciding on a permit has been reached and exceeded in my case and they have yet to respond to me. I understand from gunowners in the area that this not uncommon, and the department has been known to make people wait for six months or more. (State law limits them to 8 weeks!!) Or worse, they string people beyond the deadline for appealing and then deny the permit! I don't want to wait. I want to force the issue with a hearing before the state oversight board, which is my right, but the main issue for me is hiring a lawyer. Need I? Should I? I've talked to one I have confidence in, but it's expensive-- much more than I would have wanted to pay for the permit. I'm wondering about forcing a hearing and attending it without a lawyer. So I'm interested in hearing from anyone who's actually gone in front of the board, or has some experience dealing with it in CT, whether with a lawyer or not, to see what you think of this possibility.
I should add that there is no reason I should be denied a permit of any kind. I have no criminal history, I've never been arrested, all right credit, I'm gainfully employed, my neighbors like me, etc. There wouldn't be, then, be anything trickier to argue before the board than this: there's no reason to deny my permit application and NHPD has long exceeded its deadline.
The guidelines from the board itself say nothing about having a lawyer, and they're written in such a way that the presumption is that the appellant (me) doesn't have one. So I gather it's not like I'm suggesting going to trial without a lawyer or anything. Still, other things equal I think it would be better to have one. The thing is, as I said, they're not equal-- it would cost a lot to get represented.
Opinions? Information?
Thanks in advance
I have a question for anyone with _experience_ going before the CT state pistol permit review board. I live in New Haven, and the police chief here has apparently decided he's not going to obey the law when it comes to issuing pistol permits. The statutory limit for their deciding on a permit has been reached and exceeded in my case and they have yet to respond to me. I understand from gunowners in the area that this not uncommon, and the department has been known to make people wait for six months or more. (State law limits them to 8 weeks!!) Or worse, they string people beyond the deadline for appealing and then deny the permit! I don't want to wait. I want to force the issue with a hearing before the state oversight board, which is my right, but the main issue for me is hiring a lawyer. Need I? Should I? I've talked to one I have confidence in, but it's expensive-- much more than I would have wanted to pay for the permit. I'm wondering about forcing a hearing and attending it without a lawyer. So I'm interested in hearing from anyone who's actually gone in front of the board, or has some experience dealing with it in CT, whether with a lawyer or not, to see what you think of this possibility.
I should add that there is no reason I should be denied a permit of any kind. I have no criminal history, I've never been arrested, all right credit, I'm gainfully employed, my neighbors like me, etc. There wouldn't be, then, be anything trickier to argue before the board than this: there's no reason to deny my permit application and NHPD has long exceeded its deadline.
The guidelines from the board itself say nothing about having a lawyer, and they're written in such a way that the presumption is that the appellant (me) doesn't have one. So I gather it's not like I'm suggesting going to trial without a lawyer or anything. Still, other things equal I think it would be better to have one. The thing is, as I said, they're not equal-- it would cost a lot to get represented.
Opinions? Information?
Thanks in advance