GCO has filed its reply brief in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals for its appeal of its case against the City of Atlanta for illegally threatening to arrest GFL holders for carrying firearms in the unsecured areas of the Airport. All the briefs in the case can be read here.

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and Georgians for Gun Safety have filed an amicus brief in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals case between GCO and Atlanta over whether any existing law prohibits GFL holders from carrying firearms at the Airport.  Ostensibly in support of Atlanta, the amicus brief does not cite any law that prohibits such carry.  Rather, it claims that Georgia has no authority to regulate firearms at the Airport because federal law occupies this field completely, leaving no room for state regulation.  The inescapable conclusion from the amicus brief is that because no federal law prohibits firearms in the unsecured areas of the airport and any state laws on this topic are preempted, no law prohibits guns in the unsecured areas of the airport.

Exactly.

It would frequently behoove those making an argument to examine the logical consequences of making it before inserting it into the public record.

The City of Atlanta has filed its brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, where GCO is appealing a trial court decision that ruled HB89 does not apply to airports.  In the case, GCO seeks to establish that Atlanta violates the civil rights of people by threatening to arrest them for carrying a firearm in the Airport when no law prohibits carry by GFL holders.  The briefs in the case can be read here.

GCO settled the federal lawsuit in Richmond County involving Staff Sergeant Zachary Mead, who had his firearm seized while carrying it openly outside Kroger. Richmond County consented to an Order declaring the seizure to be a violation of the Fourth Amendment, paying damages, court costs, and attorney fees. More importantly, Richmond County has assured GCO that it has no policy of detaining Georgians merely for carrying a firearm. You may view the Order here.

Two Paulding County Sheriff’s deputies filed an answer in a GCO member’s case against them for arresting him for carrying a concealed weapon when he was openly carrying (with a GFL).  The answer and the original complaint may be viewed here.

GCO President Ed Stone debates Brady Campaign President Paul Helmke in a series of questions posed by Atlanta Life Magazine, with responses limited to 200 words or less. This was published in the November issue (still on Atlanta newstands, but hard to find in the suburbs).
Here is a direct link to a pdf of the four page article.

GCO has filed its brief in support of its appeal in the Atlanta Airport gun case.  GCO sued Atlanta in federal district court because of Atlanta’s threats to arrest people lawfully carrying firearms in the Atlanta Airport.  The district court granted Atlanta’s motion for judgment on the pleadings, finding that GCO had not introduced sufficient evidence that HB 89 (which decriminalized carrying firearms “on public transportation” for GFL holders) applies to airports (overlooking the fact that a party is neither permitted nor required to introduce evidence in opposition to a motion for judgment on the pleadings).  GCO has appealed the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.  A copy of the brief may be viewed here.

The Board of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association has repealed its long-standing ban on the carrying of firearms in Stone Mountain Park.  In its place, the Board enacted an ordinance banning the possession of firearms for people without GFLs.  People with GFLs no longer are disallowed from carrying, but they are required in the new ordinance to notify the park police “as soon as possible after entering the park” of the presence of the firearm.  In addition, consuming alcohol is prohibited.  GCO is reviewing the revised ordinance and has not announced how the revisions will affect, if at all, GCO’s lawsuit against SMMA.

GCO member Luke Woodard has filed a federal lawsuit against two Paulding County sheriff’s deputies that arrested him for carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct while he was openly carrying at a convenience store.  Remarkably, Woodard was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon when a “man with a gun” call was placed to 911 from witnesses who saw his sidearm from across the street. The deputies were unable to articulate any conduct in their report that was disorderly.  The Paulding County District Attorney dismissed the charges without presenting them to a grand jury or filing an accusation.  A copy of the complaint may be viewed here.

GCO has filed its reply brief in its appeal of a Fulton County Superior Court’s judgment in a case against the cities of Atlanta, Roswell, and Sandy Springs.  The appeal, originally filed in the Supreme Court, was transferred to the Court of Appeals when the Supreme Court determined that the case was not primarily one of equity.  The Southeastern Legal Foundation also has filed an amicus curiae brief in support of GCO.  All the briefs in the case my be viewed here.