THE TRAGEDY OF BRIAN AITKEN

Brian Aitken was an entrepreneur and a media consultant who is now incarcerated in a New Jersey prison for seven years for obeying the law.

He was in the process of moving back to New Jersey from Colorado. He had three handguns and he was concerned about complying with the law when making the move, so he contacted the New Jersey State Police who properly advised him to unload his weapons, lock them and then lock them in the trunk of his car. He complied.

Once in New Jersey, he stopped by his mother’s house. Concerned about his mental state because he was going through a divorce, she called 911 after he left her place to continue his journey, thought better about it and hung up. Police responded anyway and she related her concerns. They contacted Aitken on his cell phone and asked him to return to his mother’s house, which he did. They subsequently searched his car and discovered his handguns and then arrested him for unlawful possession.

Once in court, the Judge disallowed testimony about the fact Aitken had contacted the State Police to determine how to legally move the guns. The Judge also disallowed testimony about his searching the web for the law. The Judge also ruled that the term “moving” as applied to his transport of the guns from Colorado to his new home in New Jersey had not been met. He was subsequently sentenced to seven years in prison,

It should be mentioned that Aitken had no prior record. He had taken cautionary steps to comply with the law in the move from Colorado to New Jersey. Had he gone directly to his new home and dropped his guns off there, he would evidently have been okay, but he instead opted to visit with his mother enroute. As I understand it, the Judge is an anti-gun freak.

What in the Sam Hell is this country coming to?