As regular readers know, I have blogged several times about Shaneen Allen, a single mother of two, working at two jobs, who, after being robbed, got a gun permit and a legal weapon for her protection.
Ms. Allen, who lives in Pennsylvania, was stopped for a traffic infraction and told the police officer she had the gun, so he would not get the wrong idea if he saw it – apparently unaware that New Jersey does not recognize Pennsylvania\’s legal gun permit. This has resulting in a Torquemada-like inquisition against Ms. Allen for what clearly was an honest mistake.
In three separate blogs over the past two months I have implored Governor Christie to intervene. And now, for the first time, I have seen an indication of his “involvement”.
Excerpted from an article at CBS News – New York:
SomeNew Jersey lawmakers have taken up the cause of a Philadelphia womanarrestedfor packing a gun during a trip to Atlantic City.
“Inthis case, we\’re punishing an innocent woman who made an honestmistake, was totally legal in her home state of Pennsylvania,”Senator Jeff Van Drew told WCBS 880\’s Levon Putney.
VanDrew is co-sponsoring a bill so cases like Allen’s can avoid thestate’s mandatory jail time if convicted.
“Imean, honest mistakes happen, she\’s a legal, law-abiding person anda mistake occured and quite frankly the judge should havejurisdiction and the judge should have discretion,” Van Drew said.
Christiesays he\’s been following the case closely but doesn\’t like tointervene in cases until they\’ve had the opportunity to work theirway through the judicial process.
“Idon\’t like to intervene in the judicial process until the judicialprocess has an opportunity to work its way through,” he said. “Ithink then and only then is it the appropriate time for a governor toconsider action.”
Is Governor Christie sincere? Or is it only that he has been embarrassed into showing concern because Senator Van Drew and others did something about this travesty before he did, so now he has to play catch-up? I don\’t know and can\’t say.
Either way, Mr. Christie\’s reaction is too little and too late.
Why is Shaneen Allen being put through this “legal process” in the first place? It has always been within District Attorney/prosecutor jim mclain\’s discretion to put Ms. Allen into a pre-trial intervention program, which New Jersey offers to first-time offenders – but for reasons that I cannot fathom, he has not done so.
FYI – this is the same jim mcclain who did do so for NFL star (now suspended indefinitely) Ray Rice, who punched his girlfriend unconscious in an Atlantic City casino elevator, then dragged her out of the elevator by her hair.
Ray Rice is good to go for a “get out of jail free” pass, but Shaneen Allen isn\’t?
Trying once more:
Governor Christie – why are you allowing Shaneen Allen to be subjected to this ridiculous overreaction, this mindless abuse of power? Do you realize that, as a single mother working at two jobs, she has not got the funds to fight this? Do you realize how much time has already taken from her – time she could be spending with her children?
Maybe this picture will help jog your conscience:
Do you want Ms. Allen to remain under the threat of being taken away from her children? Do you want her to continue to fight a legal apparatus she cannot hope to find the resources for – one which is going after her with such irrational, zealous vengeance? Do you want that on your conscience?
It is time – it is long past time – to tell jim mcclain to call this inquisition off.
Stop making lame excuses, and do it.
