(1) The firearm is within a motor vehicle and it is locked in the
vehicle's trunk or in a locked container in the vehicle other than
the utility or glove compartment.
See, I'm with you on that one. I interpret that to mean that the utility or glove box does not satisfy the requirement of a locked container. But if the gun was locked in a separate locked container, and then placed inside the glove box, or the center console, that is absolutely no different whatsoever, than if it was in said locked container sitting beside you in the seat which apparently IS legal even though THAT would make it even more accessible to you than if you had to open the glove box, and retrieve said locked container, and then unlock it. The wording of the law seems pretty clear to me, that it is simply saying that the glove box does not satisfy the requirement of a locked container. Not that even if the gun is locked in it's own container and then placed in the glove box that it would be illegal. When the gun is placed in a locked box, as far as the law is concerned, it is no longer a gun. It is simply a box. Which is why it is legal to carry in the car on the seat next to you. When said "Box" is placed in the glove compartment, it is no different than having a "Box" in your glove compartment as far as all parties are concerned.
What we have here is a simple case of the law makers not feeling the need to fill the wording of the law with endless definitions of every aspect of every little detail one could possibly think of pertaining to that law. They were not going to go so far as to feel the need to explain that if a gun is locked in a container, and THEN placed into the glovebox, that it would then be legal. Because what they were trying to get accross was that the glove box does not satisfy the requirement of a locked container for transporting guns, they knew there was no real need to further explain.
A gun, locked legally inside of an approved locking container, is basically no longer a gun. It is locked within a container where it is worthless as a weapon. That is why they make you lock it in the container. And this locked container is now perfectly legal to transport within your vehicle. And therefore, regardless of any misinterpretation of the law, would be no different being carried in your glove box than on the seat next to you.
But, I am not the one who wrote the laws. I only interpret them with common sense. I am not the law enforcement officer who may or may not have same mentioned common sense, therefore what the hell do I know?
|