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The National Rifle Association is supporting a Sussex County man's lawsuit seeking a permit to carry his handgun outside of his house, the organization announced this week.
The national lobbying group said it was backing John Drake’s lawsuit with a forthcoming amicus brief, in support of Second-Amendment rights in New Jersey, the organization said. Drake, and other plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit, petitioned last month to have their case heard in the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Law-abiding citizens have a constitutional right to defend themselve beyond their front doorstep,” said Chris W. Cox, the executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action.
Drake, of Fredon, is a business owner who owns and services ATMs – and who carries large amounts of cash, he said in an interview this morning. The suit challenges New Jersey law requiring "justifiable need" to acquire concealed-carry permits, he said.
The problem is not with the "may issue" system which requires the applicant to present "justifiable need," but rather with the definition of "justifiable need."
In my opinion, Mr. Drake qualifies. I don't see that it's necessary to dismantle the entire system in order to accommodate cases like this. Of course that's what the pro-gun folks want, but with a minor tweak, the New Jersey system can be sufficiently improved.
Debate Magazine
