23 July 2007

Norfolk and visitor with a holstered .45 are tangled in a Catch-22

Szymecki had come from Yorktown with his wife, their three children and two children from their neighborhood.
Szymecki had brought along something else, too - a .45-caliber handgun in a holster on his belt.
Szymecki was charged with violating a local ordinance that the City Council had passed in May, which set up rules to govern Harborfest. Among them was a provision banning handguns and other weapons.
There's just one problem: A few years ago, the General Assembly barred localities from enforcing laws governing the carrying of firearms. That meant state law prevailed. And in Virginia, "open carry" is legal.

I guess I don't get the headline. Where is the catch 22? He had the right to carry the gun openly.
Szymecki was given a summons and released. When he showed up for court June 22, the case was withdrawn at the request of an assistant city attorney.

Alas, justice prevails.

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