Sheriff, supervisors ready for battle over gun permits

[Gladiator]

News: Sheriff, supervisors ready for battle over gun permits | permits, hutchens, carona, weapons, concealed - OCRegister.com

Friday, November 14, 2008

Sheriff, supervisors ready for battle over gun permits

County supervisors are expected to debate resolution Tuesday calling for changes on revocations of gun permits

BY NORBERTO SANTANA JR.
The Orange County Register


Over the past six months, new Sheriff Sandra Hutchens has received nothing but ovations and support from the county board that appointed her to fill the term of disgraced former Sheriff Mike Carona, who went on trial this month for corruption charges.

But on Tuesday, that relationship could radically change.

Hutchens – who is up for reelection in 2010 - is under fire for her controversial revisions to the concealed weapons policies that were a hallmark of the Carona administration.

Last month, Hutchens began a systematic review of the 1,100 concealed weapons permits granted under Carona and started revoking current permits.

That has triggered an avalanche of emails and phone calls to supervisors and they aren't happy.

"I don't like her views at all," said Supervisor Janet Nguyen about Hutchens revocation of so-called carry concealed weapons permits. And Nguyen is angry that Hutchens has moved to revoke permits without brining in the supervisors or stakeholders on developing a new standard.

"She's becoming like Carona," Nguyen said. "She needs to understand she needs to work with us."

County Supervisor Chris Norby is prepared to present a resolution at the board on Tuesday, where hundreds are rumored to show up, calling on Hutchens to halt her revocation of permits.

And while that effort had drawn fire from Supervisors' Chairman John Moorlach – who argues that the supervisors are prevented by law from interfering in the process of granting ccw permits- even he is uneasy with Hutchens sweeping revisions.

"I'm the chairman of the board," Moorlach said. "So I want to be supportive of my department heads even when I disagree with them. That being said, I believe Sheriff Hutchens could have handled this a lot differently. She could have addressed it in a different way."

Hutchens took office this summer just as Carona's trial was gearing up, as well as a mountain of allegations about abuse of office and a decayed command structure.

Records reviewed by the Orange County Register show that concealed weapon permits soared under Carona, from 28 in 1998 to 468 the next year. Carona ran his campaign largely on the promise that he would expand concealed weapons permits, arguing that a looser standard was a good match for a pro-gun Republican county. By 2006, Carona had granted 1,400 permits, a four-fold increase.

When Carona took over in 1998, Orange County ranked 34th in terms of the numbers of permits granted. By 2006, the county was ranked number nine.

However, the Register also found numerous instances where campaign donors received permits. A Register look at campaign records and weapons permits between 1996 and 2001, found 95 instances where contributors – who gave a total of $68,000 in contributions - got permits.

Indeed, the federal indictment of Carona details one specific instance where a wealthy contributor was granted a weapons permit under questionable circumstances.

Hutchens said that Carona's liberal standard on the good cause requirement for concealed weapons permits, along with the allegations of corruption, prompted her to do a full scale review of the permits.

And while state law gives Sheriffs discretion on how to hand out the permits, Hutchens says the intent of the law is clear: concealed weapons are only for personal protection.

Once she was made aware of potential problems with the permits, Hutchens said she had no choice but to review them and apply a tighter standard in line with the intent of the law.

And no amount of lobbying or displeasure, or supervisors' resolutions will change that.

"Nothing about this storm will change what I'm doing," she said. "This is not a subject for debate. It's a matter of the intent of the law."

Contact the writer: 714-796-2221 nsantana@ocregister.com

[Gladiator]

Originally Posted by Gladiator

And while state law gives Sheriffs discretion on how to hand out the permits, Hutchens says the intent of the law is clear: concealed weapons are only for personal protection.

I am so glad we are on the same page and agree. Now we can move beyond this and issue more CCW's.

[Female Instructor]

Cybill! What is she doing disguised as the SHEriff?

[WKC]

Just who is advising this person?

Moorlacky is more of a jerk than I gave him credit for. I am not a fan of Hutchens but it seems like Moorlacky is jumping ship to save his own butt and in the process hang Hutchens out to dry.

[Gladiator]

Originally Posted by Gladiator

I am so glad we are on the same page and agree. Now we can move beyond this and issue more CCW's.

I'm on the phone with Norberto now. He just confirmed the quote.

[THE Gimper]

Originally Posted by WKC

Just who is advising this person?

Moorlacky is more of a jerk than I gave him credit for. I am not a fan of Hutchens but it seems like Moorlacky is jumping ship to save his own butt and in the process hang Hutchens out to dry.

It sounds to me like Moorlach is OK with her revoking your permit and making it harder for everyone else to get one. He just wishes she'd been a little more discrete about it.

[NikNak]

This story gives me a little solace .... She may have cooked her own goose on this one ... I only hope there are repercussions from this that last longer than these next few months ... there is an old adage in politics(and this is politics) ... a day is a week, a week is a month, a month is a year and a year is a decade ...... people forget. Let's not forget!

[Gr8OCGuy]

And no amount of lobbying or displeasure, or supervisors' resolutions will change that.

"Nothing about this storm will change what I'm doing," she said. "This is not a subject for debate. It's a matter of the intent of the law."

yeah, yeah, worst case scenario....it's not 'debated' until 2010, then either way, she's done!....She really doesn't get it. Geez...to make a statement for the record like this, only reaffirms my belief that her lack of understanding the implications of her position on CCWs is only surpassed by her personal ineptness at making strategic statements about why she holds her position....She is WAY over her head. I really am looking forward to 11/18!

[PUNK]

WOW. if you give her just enough rope. . .

[THE Gimper]

Originally Posted by AMS MIKE

WOW. if you give her just enough rope. . .

As long as she's willing to keep using it, I think we can afford to be generous.

[RomanDad]

Originally Posted by AMS MIKE

WOW. if you give her just enough rope. . .

she'll braid you a really neat gun cozy.

[IAmASensFan]

Folks, read the comments...we aren't winning the public opinion poll on this one.

[RomanDad]

Originally Posted by IAmASensFan

Folks, read the comments...we aren't winning the public opinion poll on this one.

All I see is the Trang A-holes coming out against janet...

[sealbeach]

Originally Posted by IAmASensFan

Folks, read the comments...we aren't winning the public opinion poll on this one.

If you eliminate the racists and haterz, the comments look pretty good. I feel pretty good about this direction...

[IAmASensFan]

I tell you what, though, that "PissedinOC" is one smart cookie!