Gun Free School Zones...I need an education

B

boing

New member
The Gun Free School Zones law makes it illegal to possess a firearm within 1000 feet of a school.

I've looked around at internet sites, but I get conflicting info, or at least I don't interpret the info correctly.

Has the US Supreme Court ruled on this law?

Does the law make it illegal to have a gun within 1000 feet of a school building or within 1000 feet of the edge of school property, including public roads?

Is it illegal to drive through a school zone with a gun in your car, even if it's secured in accordance with state law?

I ask beacuse there are only two roads in my area that lead from my house into town. The "main" road has a school right next to it. The other road has a school under construction.

Am I going to have to take a 2 hour drive in the opposite direction just get to the local ranges which are less than 25 minutes away?

What's the deal?

-boing, soon to be trapped(?)
 
This is my understanding and take on it:

Preface: I believe its unConstitutional as technically, if your house is within 1000yds the law applies to you if guns are in your house

1)De jure it is law, de facto, its unenforceable unless there are blanket roadblocks and searches
2) Its a "feel good" law and designed to "impress" voters and special interest groups
3) Its one of the "lessor" charges than can be filed against you (at the cop's or DA's discretion) should you either commit some infraction or are stopped and searched and they want to nail you for something.

I don't worry about it and have yet to hear of any prosecutions.


Addendum:

Its a gun control law, Boing...the Supreme Court avoids ruling on gun control laws :)...until someone is indeed prosecuted, appeals, etc...the Court will never rule on it.
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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"




[This message has been edited by DC (edited August 08, 1999).]
 
boing - I think you're worried about a non-issue. I believe VA and NC laws are similar on this one. It's not unlawful to possess a gun within 1000 ft. of a school, it's unlawful to carry one. With regards to guns on or near school grounds, VA law specifically states "Unloaded, cased firearms in a motor vehicle and unloaded rifles and shotguns in the firearm rack of a motor vehicle are not prohibited."

Also, possessing firearms, loaded or unloaded, inside a residence within 1000 ft. of a school is not prohibited. If they were, then that law would automatically make felons of thousands and thousands of people in every state of the union. Of course, HCI and the like would love this, but it isn't true.
 
The SC did rule on the original law and said it had nothing to do with interstate commerce and voided it. Then the idjets in DC (sorry our DC) passed it again, there has been no attempt to take it back to the Superemes.

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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
 
Colorado law makes it a class 2 misdemeanor to carry or possess a deadly weapon (defined elsewhere) in or on the real estate of any public or private school. Exceptions by statute include: in your car, peace officer, concealed weapons permit. I'll email the statute to Colorado residents.
 
If the SC has voided the law or whatever (thats a legal term)wouldnt the new law be void also?

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Better days to be,

Ed
 
Ed...
Not necessarily. Thats why the anti-gunners are approaching GC thru Public health, interstate commerce and Education

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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"
 
Boing, The Superemes voided the first Safe School act because it had nothing to do with interstate commerce, the only reason the feds can enact any legislation according to the Constitution. The act was reintroduced with sometype of commerce wording, I guess, and there have been no legal challanges since the new bill was enacted.

If there are no challanges, the SC can't take notice of the bill. At least, I have never heard of them stating on their own hook that any law was un-Constitutional.

------------------
Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
 
Thanks. If I get busted, I'll just mosey on up to the Supreme Court and have the new law voided for us.

Donations to my (legal) defense fund will be appreciated. :) And tax deductable! ;)

-boing
 
What this law has accually done is turn our schools into shooting galleries for every nutcase with a grudge. Too bad our government doesn't get it.
 
The "GUN FREE SCHOOL ZONE" and "DRUG FREE SCHOOL ZONE" laws were passed to keep us from noticing that today's schools are really "EDUCATION FREE SCHOOL ZONES".

Several teachers who had the silly idea that they were supposed to teach something have been fired for not getting with the program: Turn out stupid creeps and demand more pay. If things go wrong, blame it on the NRA.

Jim
 
I was kinda hoping that they would have tried enforcing the law during Michigan's deer season as the hunters were heading to their cabins and hunting areas. Boy, if you wanted to start the 3rd American Revolution.
;)
------------------
Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"



[This message has been edited by Jim V (edited August 09, 1999).]
 
Boing, the law seems similar to one in GA which makes it illegal to possess ( have it in your car ) a weapon within 1000 ft of a school, however it is at the officers discretion to make a charge or not. The police would really have to be p!ssed to make the charge if you were stoped on the street. You would have to do something stupid to draw attention to yourself on campus. What few police are on school grounds do not have the time or desire to search every car of every parrent that comes on campus to pick up their kids.


It seems that our law-makers do not think before enacting these stupid laws. If there are no guns on a school campus, who will stop the nuts shooting our children on campus, the police ? Never get there in time to do more than pick up the boddies. The knowledge that a teacher may be armed would go a long way in detering these little hoodlems.
 
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