Tennessee tourist arrested for bringing pistol into 9/11 Memorial

Really, you can’t bring guns into the 9/11 Memorial?
A tourist from Tennessee waltzed into one of the most secure sites in the city — and politely asked a cop if she could check her weapon.
Instead, she was dragged out in cuffs.
Now, Meredith Graves, 39, is facing at least three years in prison for thinking New York’s gun laws are anything like those in the Bible Belt.
Graves, a fourth-year medical student, showed up at the memorial on Dec. 22 to pay her respects during a trip north for a job interview.
She didn’t realize that the loaded .32-caliber pistol in her purse would be a problem until she saw a sign at the site that read, “No guns allowed,” sources said.

GRAVES

“She remembered she had the gun on her,” a source said. She walked up to a security guard and said, “I have this gun. Where can I check it?”
The guard told her that she was in luck because of “law enforcement day” — and led her to another area.
When she got to that section, she asked another cop, “We have this gun — can we check it in here? We [my husband and I] are not law-enforcement.”
That’s when she was arrested.
Graves, who has a full legal carry permit in Tennessee, was locked up on a weapons-possession charge and held on $2,000 bond that she posted yesterday. She is due in court on March 19.
She’ll soon find out exactly how serious New York City is about illegal guns. The Manhattan DA’s Office is pursuing a conviction on felony gun possession — carrying a minimum sentence of 3 1/2 years.
Mayor Bloomberg, with the help of the five district attorneys, has crusaded against the flow of illegal guns, especially from the South.
Out-of-state weapons have been used in a slew of homicides, including the murder of NYPD cop Peter Figoski on Dec. 12.
Sources don’t believe Graves’ intentions were sinister.
She and her husband, Richard Disharoon, drove to New York because Graves, a registered nurse, had an interview for a residency at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital on Long Island, sources said.
“You’d think states would reciprocate with the Second Amendment. She has a license to carry in Tennessee,” said her mother-in-law, who lives in Manchester, NJ.
“Everyone down there carries, and she just forgot,” said the woman, who would not give her name. “She was being honest, and this is the treatment they give innocent people.”
Graves, who has no prior criminal record, could not be reached for comment, and her Legal Aid lawyer did not return calls.
The case resembles the ordeal of Jonathan Ryan, a Florida man who was arrested for gun possession in 2010 after driving up north to help his girlfriend move — and ended up beating the rap at trial.
Ryan’s lawyer, Mark Bederow, said yesterday New York’s gun laws are too tough on people like Graves and his client.
“There may be technical guilt in some of these cases, but the law is not designed to deal with them,” he said.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/...d_at_wtc_1x32hgT52UNhxkP36ZYAgJ#ixzz1hvS1Pu7s

What say you folks? Personally, I hope the DA goes easy on her. I believe the gun laws in NYC to be garbage, 3/12 years and a bright future ruined for one small mistake that did no harm to anyone... seems harsh to me. I think a hefty fine and the confiscation of her firearm would send a strong message to make it important to research local gun laws in the areas you plan to travel when you hold a CCW.

 

My question is, how far was she? If she was at the enterance, then go light. If she was all the way to the memorial before asking the guard, then that's a probelm.

 

Leave it in the car. Problem solved. I do not believe New York recognizes Tennessee's concealed carry laws.

 

That depends if the DA is a golf buddy of Bloomberg.

 

Sounds like a case of stupidity to me. Yes- I hope she does not get slammed hard for this but seriously- check gun laws before you travel. Not as if it is exactly a secret that New York has tough gun laws.

 

not good enough. just being in the city with it is the offense, not carrying it into the memorial. that's just where she gave herself away.

 

In that case, yeah she's in a lot of trouble.

 

you didn't know about the Sullivan Act either.

 

I did not know either, but then again, why would I care? I don't have a gun on me.

 

well, if you see one laying about, don't pick it up and take it to a police station.

 

Thanks for the heads up then.

 

The gun wasn't illegal, the carrying of it in NY was...

 

Ayuh,.... New York City doesn't even acknowledge New York State's CC laws...

My CC permit is good everywhere in NYS, Except the 5 counties of NYC...

 

SOmeone needs to challenge that in court. It should be a slam-dunk win...not recognizing another state's CC permit is unconstitutional on its face.

 

When traveling, a responsible gun owner would take the time to study the laws of the different states they will be traveling through.

That being said, this is ridiculous and deserves to be thrown out of court.

 

sorry. didn't read the article. Did he walk thru a metal detector or did he turn himself in?

 

she asked a security guard where she could check her weapon.

 

ohgoodgrief

 

I expect no mercy for her. This is also a political issue and the mayor is very anti-gun.

 

i suspect that this was done on purpose to test NYC's refusal to honor other jurisdictions permits.

 

Yeah, different states have different laws. I can just imagine what would happen if someone from California went to Tennessee with a bag of pot and their Medical Marijuana card.

 

when in rome do as the romans do.

ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of the law.

 

in the state where it is legal it is .. legal.

somewhere else it is not.

you recognise the law within the state boundaries, but in other states, you recognise THEIR laws.

 

I have been reading up on this.

New York doesn't really have uniform state laws. If I was a gun owner taking a trip, I would have read all this before I went. While New Yorks Laws are ridiculous, the person who broke the law should still be somewhat responsible for her actions.

3 years in prison for this offense is about as bad as 3 years in prison for forgetting to turn your lights off in the car.

This isn't a crime, it is a political stepping post.

 

My Colorado permit is only recognized in a handful of states.

Colorado has ridiculously loose CCW requirements.