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Nah....couldn't be...

What do you think the outcome would've been if it had been any of us?

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mp ... an/3391086

Oct. 11, 2005, 6:47AM


Gun in briefcase trips up McAllen senator at airport
Associated Press

McALLEN — A South Texas lawmaker detained by police after bringing a handgun through an airport metal detector said Monday he made a mistake and that he had a permit to carry the weapon.


Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, was found with a 9 mm handgun in his briefcase as he passed through security at Miller International Aiport in McAllen, Harlingen television station KGBT reported. Airport security discovered the weapon and Hinojosa was taken to the McAllen Police Department before being released.

"I made a mistake in rushing to the airport and not checking my briefcase prior to entering the McAllen Miller International Airport," Hinojosa said in a statement. "The airport security at McAllen Miller International was doing their job."

Hinojosa said police verified his concealed handgun permit, identity and traced the weapon before releasing him.

McAllen police and a woman answering the phone at the airport would not comment when contacted by The Associated Press late Monday.

He won't be charged with a crime, but he can expect to get a letter from TSA declaring he's been given an "administrative fine" of up to $10,000.

Kevin

This "almost" happened to me at DFW. I made it all the way to the door with my luggage in tow and realized I had my 340PD in my pocket. I just turned around and went back to the truck to secure it.
When you get in a hurry it's not hard to forget something that's there everyday.

as a democrat, I wonder how he votes on 2A issues

Handgun case against senator is dismissed
Hinojosa had gun in briefcase at airport


http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/con ... a0074.html

By Lynn Brezosky

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

McALLEN -- Police said they were dismayed Tuesday that a city judge threw out their charge accusing a South Texas lawmaker of bringing a loaded handgun through airport security.

Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, was found with a 9 mm handgun in his briefcase Monday afternoon as he passed through security at Miller International Airport.

Airport security discovered the weapon, and police arrested Hinojosa and took him to be arraigned. But to the chagrin of police, McAllen Municipal Court Judge Kathleen Henley dropped the charge, Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said Tuesday.

"Our impression was that he would be arraigned by Judge Henley yesterday afternoon," Rodriguez said. "To our dismay we learned that Judge Henley basically dismissed him. . . . I've never seen a case basically tossed out at the arraignment point."

He said the police investigation would continue and when completed, the case would be referred to federal authorities and Hidalgo County District Attorney Rene Guerra.

But Guerra said he thought Henley did the right thing.

"Nobody in their right mind would put a weapon in a briefcase that clearly has to be X-rayed at an airport," Guerra said. "If you just want to be arrested you can just take a weapon to the airport and wave it and say, 'I want to be arrested.' Some people will make innocent mistakes."

Hinojosa issued a statement late Monday saying he had made a mistake by "rushing to the airport and not checking my briefcase prior to entering the McAllen Miller International Airport."

Calls to his office on Tuesday were not returned.

Henley would not say why she dismissed the charge. A clerk outside her office said the judge said talking to reporters would "violate the code."

According to The Transportation Security Administration Web site, weapons may not be brought to security checkpoints without authorization. The TSA said bringing a weapon into a checkpoint could result in charges.

Rodriguez said police had charged Hinojosa with taking a weapon where it is prohibited, a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

"The laws are very specific and very clear," he said. "It's a chargeable offense even if it's done recklessly."

onerifle wrote:The laws are very specific and very clear," he said. "It's a chargeable offense even if it's done recklessly."

But they are selectively enforced...

I've never really had a beef with Juan...He's a lot more Pro to our argument than a majority of his compadres in that party of his...

I believe everyone can make a mistake from time to time...I doubt this will happen again to him anytime soon...

Any beef I might have would not be with Sen. Hinojosa, but with the 'wink, wink, nod-nod' (read: preferential) treatment, compared to the treatment any of us would likely receive if we were to make such an honest mistake.

I won't even get into how the media would spin it...

I have seen this kind of thing happen more times than I care to count, and the results are spread across a spectrum just as vast.

Most often CHL holders that appear to have made an "honest" mistake are allowed to continue their trip, with the gun confiscated by the police.

Rarely CHL holders that appear to have made that same "honest" mistake have been allowed to take their gun back to an appropriate person or to their vehicle and continue.

I do not know the reason for the difference, I suspect it's a decision the police make, they are in charge at that point, not TSA.

I have also seen CHL holders that appear to have made an "honest" mistake led away in cuffs, presumeably for arraignment.

I have also seen non-CHL holders who had a gun in their carry on led away in cuffs, every time.

Interesting that the first AP article says that the police released him, and the second says that he was arraigned and that the judge released him. This would imply to me that there was no double standard on the part of the pooice or TSA, that the responsibility for letting him loose lies with the judge.

BTW, TSA has a no excuses policy for this sort of thing, or so we are told. Everyone gets a federal summons and is liable for the $10,000.00 fine, even if it was merely an "honest" mistake.

I would like to know if the police kept his gun.

jimlongley wrote:BTW, TSA has a no excuses policy for this sort of thing, or so we are told. Everyone gets a federal summons and is liable for the $10,000.00 fine, even if it was merely an "honest" mistake.

Those summons/letters also include a warning at the bottom to not tell anyone about it. It's that old double-secret probation routine. :?

I would like to know if the police kept his gun.

And, on what basis.

Kevin

I am enclosing a link to News Channel 4. When you get to their site if you scroll down you can find the featured videos section. There is one there entitled "Lawyer defends Judges decision" If you click on that video you will find an intersting story about Senator Hinojosa.

More importantly, once you open the video box, you can scroll down and see the original video when he was originally "Detained" and how the story has evolved from there.

It's pretty interesting stuff, in particular the story about he DID recieve preferential treatment.

http://www.team4news.com/

And sorry, I could not find a way to send the links directly to the video

Stay safe
Robalero