To Governor Christie:
I am writing to plea for you to show logic and compassion, by having charges vacated – or, if she is convicted, pardoning – Ms. Shaneen Denise Allen.
Let me explain why by posting her story, as reported by Channel 9 (WOR) News:
27year-old Shaneen Allen wanted to protect her family. She took a gunsafety course, applied for and was granted a concealed carry permitand she purchased a gun.
“Oneof my family members, he thought it was appropriate for me to get onebecause I\’m a single mother and I have two children and I work twojobs and I work late and getting up at that time of night I gotrobbed twice last year and he felt the need for me to get my licenseto protect me and my kids,” Allen explained.
However,while Allen, from Philadelphia, was covered to carry a gun inPennsylvania, she made the mistake of crossing into New Jersey withthe weapon and now she\’s facing a mandatory minimum of three-years injail.
Allensaid that she didn\’t know her permit didn\’t apply to New Jersey sowhen she was stopped for a minor traffic offense she told the policeabout her gun and her permit to carry. In this case, being honest mayhave cost her.
“Thejudge tried to tell me that telling the truth messed me up, my lifeup and the cop said the same thing. Me opening my mouth and speakingout he said I\’m one out of ten people that spoke up and was honestand that got me in trouble,” she said.
Allenwas charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession ofhallow-point bullets which were in the gun. Under New Jersey gunlaws, the illegal possession of a gun is a second-degree felony whichholds a minimum sentence of three-years in prison.
Allen’sAttorney Evan Nappen feels that the judge doesn\’t have a lot ofdiscretion in this particular case.
“We\’retalking about a law-abiding, licensed person who did nothing wrong.She is now facing three-years minimum mandatory, where the judge hasno discretion, in state\’s prison,” he said.
Allenhas no criminal record and only owned the gun for a week. So far theAtlantic County Prosecutor has denied her entry into a diversionaryprogram that would allow her to avoid jail time.
Thecase is still moving forward but the question remains, will NewJersey\’s tough gun laws take a young woman who wanted protectionfrom criminals and instead force her to become one?
Could it possibly be clearer that this young woman has done nothing wrong? That she tried to act entirely within the law? That she is no threat to anyone but a potential criminal attacker, which – after being robbed twice – she has an obvious need to protect herself from?
To incarcerate Ms. Allen for even one day would be so great a miscarriage of justice that I can\’t imagine anyone, knowing the specifics of this case, would look the other way and subject her to it.
Please, please, Governor Christie, do the right thing and intervene on her behalf.
Thank you in advance for what I hope you will do.
