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While walking into the Galveston County building today......
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:10 pm
by RHZig
I left my gun in the car because I knew they were 30.06.
My questions is...
The legal block letters were written in Spanish and English but it was on clear glass with WHITE blinds behind them. They were anything but contrasting.
Was it a legal 30.06 posting?
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:18 pm
by hirundo82
The meaning of "contrasing" in § 30.06 is one of the more contentious parts of that section.
I am not familiar with the building in question, but the posting appears to be invalid per
§ 30.06 (e):
(e) It is an exception to the application of this section
that the property on which the license holder carries a handgun is
owned or leased by a governmental entity and is not a premises or
other place on which the license holder is prohibited from carrying
the handgun under Section 46.03 or 46.035.
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:26 pm
by longtooth
I agree w/ the invalid interpretation. I also know that after arrest & the lawyers for the Galveston County kept your bilfold in court for a LONG TIME that you would probably spend every thing you have & still not win.
I dont think you would have your CHL while you were fighting it out either.
I will never forget what Charles told me shortly after getting on the board.
Those on the cutting edge of law usually bleed to death financially.
Dont be a test case.
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:34 pm
by seamusTX
I don't know which building you're talking about. Some of them are courthouses or contain court offices, which are off-limits without being posted.
Galveston County has these irritating signs on many buildings where they are obviously invalid, such as the senior citizens center on 22nd Street in the City of Galveston.
I'm not sure you could win a case arguing that red letters on glass were not contrasting. The judges certainly see them when the enter the courthouse.
I have it on my to-do list to buttonhole Mr. Sistrunk (the DA) about this if I ever run into him. He is not anti-RKBA on the whole.
- Jim
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:37 pm
by stevie_d_64
The intent is clear...
But I recall the Houston Police Department HQ, downtown had the exact same setup...White lettering, proper size, proper wording and translation, fully compliant except for the glass and a non-contrasting background...
The first few times I passed by there on my way to lunch when I worked downtown, I used to really want to walk up there and kinda squint at it to see what it really said...
So one bright sunny day I walked right up to it, knelt down to get it to eye level...Next thing I know, boom! I got contrast, because Officer Friendly on the other side of the glass was looking keenly at me...
Just smiled and said, Ohhh! So it does look right!
I got to steppin'...
They eventually took the signage down, due to some compramise or something...You still have to go thru metal detectors in that place...
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 9:26 pm
by frankie_the_yankee
If I see a government building I think is illegally posted, I would simply photograph the offending sign and send the info to TSRA to investigate.
Charles is right about that "cutting edge of the law" stuff.
Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:49 pm
by razoraggie
stevie_d_64 wrote:
So one bright sunny day I walked right up to it, knelt down to get it to eye level...Next thing I know, boom! I got contrast, because Officer Friendly on the other side of the glass was looking keenly at me...
Just smiled and said, Ohhh! So it does look right!
I got to steppin'...
LOL....wish I coulda seen that one Stevie.
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 3:35 pm
by para driver
I sent an email to DPS a couple months ago, asking this very question..
their response was 'it's up to the courts to decide what is sufficient notice'.. meaning it's going to cost someone a lot of money to be the test case.
and just remember, if it's a city or county building, you're probably going to a city/county jail, and a city/county courthouse to decide. Sounds like a stacked deck to me.
Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:24 am
by Abraham
When in doubt, I leave my pistol in the vehicle.
Technical signage details and semantics aren't going to be listened to by the arresting officer.
Am I being wimpy?
Maybe, but I'm not spending the bucks.