 The Illinois Supreme Court overturned a case that made it illegal
for non-Illinois residents to carry a gun in the state with an
Illinois Firearm Owner Identification Card, something that only
Illinois citizens can obtain.The ruling stems from a case out of
Chicago. Following a routine traffic stop, Leonard Holmes Jr., a
resident of Indiana, was charged with two counts of aggravated
unlawful use of a weapon.
During the stop, police discovered a loaded pistol in the
backseat armrest of Holmes' car, which generated the first charge.
Police also tacked on a charge of carrying a firearm without an
Illinois FOID.
The court ruled 7-0 that someone who has a permit to have a gun
from their home state doesn't need to also get a FOID card.
"As the majority points out, if we were to strictly apply the
FOID card requirement, ... nonresidents whose weapons are unloaded
and enclosed in a case but who do not have an Illinois FOID card
would be guilty of a felony," Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman
wrote.
For the southern Illinois city of Sparta, the ruling was a matter
of economic survival. Sparta is home to the $50 million World
Shooting & Recreational Complex. Chris Hespen works for the complex
and said it hosted about 300 shooting events during 2010.
During its biggest event, the Armature Trapshooting Association's
Grand American, the complex saw sport shooters from across the
nation and from 17 countries, according to Hespen. He said
Thursday's ruling diverted an economic disaster.
"It would have been detrimental and crippling," Hespen said.
"This facility here, yeah, we offer day use and walk-in outdoor
sportsmen an opportunity to recreationally shoot, but this facility
is written and built for tournaments and competitive shooting
events."
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Law enforcement and state's attorneys in border communities said
the court's decision just brings the law in line with how they've
been operating.
Jon Barnard is the Illinois state's attorney for Adams County,
which sits on the Mississippi River across from Missouri. He said
it's not uncommon for situations similar to Holmes' to come up
there, especially during hunting season. Adams County had the
second-highest number of deer harvested in Illinois last year.
"If they're permitted to have a gun in their home state and they
just happen to be traveling through the state of Illinois and they
get stopped for a speeding ticket or whatever and there's a gun in
the car, well, we're not going to charge them with a FOID card
violation," he said.
Like Adams County, East Moline sits on the Mississippi, only it
borders Iowa. East Moline Police Department Capt. William DeVrieze
said his department has taken the same approach as Adams County.
"We've never charged an out-of-state resident with no FOID card,"
he said.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By ANDREW THOMASON]
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