Shaheen Allen made the mistake of driving from Pennsylvania to New Jersey with a firearm in her car. She was arrested, charged, and convicted of a felony under New Jersey’s Graves Act. Initially, she was to face a mandatory 42 months in prison. Public outcry led prosecutors to allow her entry into a diversionary program in lieu of prison time, but she remained a convicted criminal.
Governor Christie has now pardoned her. His statement is here. Happy ending, right?
Tell that to Steffon Losey-Davis, who has yet to receive the governor’s beneficence, or to any other victims of New Jersey’s gun laws.
There is nothing in Christie’s pardon, or in any public statement he’s made to date, to indicate that he finds the Graves Act unfair or unconstitutional. I won’t hold my breath waiting, either. He ran for office in 1995 in support of New Jersey’s “assault weapons” ban.
So, why the change in heart with Ms. Continued...