The 2nd Amendment Foundation is spearheading a lawsuit [pdf] to challenge Maryland’s rigid scheme on the issuance of concealed carry permits. In short, a civilian seeking a permit for “personal protection” must show “documented evidence of recent threats, robberies, and/or assaults, supported by official police reports or notarized statements from witnesses.”
Plaintiff Raymond Woollard should therefore meet the criteria. According to the complaint, his home was broken into on Christmas Eve, 2002. Woollard was beaten by the intruder, and it took police over two hours to respond to his wife’s 911 call. His assailant was sentenced to probation at first, then imprisoned after assaulting a police officer.
Upon the assailant’s release only three years later, Mr. Woollard was issued a permit. In 2009, his renewal was denied by the defendants, who cited a lack of evidence to “support apprehended fear (i.e. – copies of police reports for assaults, threats, harassments, stalking).” Continued...