Menu Content/Inhalt

What is this?

Featured Item


OFCC Gift Membership with commemorative lapel pin!



2009 OFCC Calendar

Castle Doctrine On The Move PDF Print E-mail
Written by Gary Witt   
Tuesday, 27 May 2008

OFCC Coordinator Gary Witt provided testimony to the House Criminal Justice Committee today in support of SB 184 and its proposed amendment. You will find Mr. Witt's testimony in its entirety below. A police representative testified in opposition to the amendment. After both pro and con testimony, the House Criminal Justice Committee approved the amendment and voted it and SB 184 out of committee where they will now go to the full House for a vote. The Castle Doctrine legislation as already passed by the Senate would make a rebutable presumption of self defense if deadly force were used by a homeowner against an individual performing or about to perform a list of specified crimes in the person’s home or vehicle - the burden of proof that the deadly force was not self defense would be on the prosecution. If deadly force were used anywhere else the burden of proof would be on the person who used deadly force.

The House committee also passed an amendment to SB 184 that would change many aspects of the current CCW law. Highlights of the amendment include:

- Transportation of firearms by non-licensed motorists
- Regulation of firearms within liquor permit establishments
- Reduced penalty for failure to inform law enforcement of licensed status
- Addresses concealed carry in retail establishments with a D6 or D8 liquor license (grocery stores)
- Prohibits sheriffs from considering expunged or sealed convictions in background checks for a concealed carry license
- Exemptions for shelters, restrooms and parking garages (including state parks)
- Prohibits landlords from prohibiting a tenant from owning or carrying a firearm in the tenant’s apartment
- Defines “unloaded”
- Addresses concealed carry in school safety zones

The House committee also declined to accept an amendment that would curtail the ability to carry ammunition.

According to one committee member, the bill should be on the House Floor Thursday or Friday. The committee member also said that the Senate has been made aware of the amendment and is ready to concur.

Both houses adjourn for the summer on Friday 5/30 and will reconvene in September. Witt was told that this is a high priority bill and that legislative members could “stick around” to make sure this gets to the governor.

Below is Witt's testimony:

Testimony Before House Criminal Justice Committee
5/27/2008

Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee: Good afternoon. My name is Gary Witt and I am here today speaking on behalf of Ohioans for Concealed Carry, Incorporated. OFCC is a proponent of SB 184 and the amendment before the committee. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak.

It is not my intent to rehash the pros and cons of the amendment, there have been ample opportunities for others to do this. I wish to bring out one point to the committee. That point is that the current law, unwittingly, gives ample opportunity for the law abiding citizens of Ohio to unintentionally become law breakers with sometimes very serious consequences. Examples:

- A non-CHL family member drives a vehicle that has a gun locked in the glove box because the CHL holder was not able to be in the vehicle – perhaps the CHL holder had been taken from a restaurant to a hospital.

- A CHL holder is in an establishment that has been issued a Class D liquor permit.

- A CHL holder is dropping off or picking up his child from school.

- A non CHL holder has guns locked in the trunk with magazines loaded and in the passenger compartment.

The criminals of our society do not care about the law, they do not try to abide by it. We, the law abiding, want to do what is right. Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen representatives of this committee, we urge that you accept this amendment and help the law abiding citizens of Ohio remain law abiding.

Thank you for allowing me to present this point. I will be glad to answer any questions that you have.