In early July Chasing New Jersey brought us the story of Shaneen Allen, a single mom of 2 boys who works 2 jobs to provide for her family.  Because she works late and has been robbed in the past, she was advised by family members to get a gun for protection, thinking it was a good idea she decided to take the necessary steps to be legally able to purchase said weapon and she did.  Concealed weapon permit in hand and only having the weapon itself for one week she finds herself in a particular situation while interacting with an officer over a minor traffic infraction.  She admitted to the officer as he approached her that she had a weapon in the vehicle and she also had a license to carry it, the officer proceeded to arrest her and now she faces over 10 years in prison.

The catch to this particular story is that Ms.

Allen is a resident of Philly, she was pulled over in New Jersey,  her permit from Philly didn’t apply in Jersey.  There is also the fact that her gun was loaded with hollow point bullets, but she says she didn’t know her permit didn’t apply in Jersey.  So now this woman is facing up to 11 years in prison, 10 years for the weapon, 18 months for the hollow point bullets.  The traffic infraction that set this thing in motion, an unsafe lane change while in the process of retrieving items for her sons birthday party 3 days later.

While it was believed that either the judge or the prosecutor would throw the case out after hearing the details, especially the part about her not having any priors and having been robbed 2 times in the last year, but that simply didn’t happen.  According to her attorney, ““New Jersey’s gun law is as unforgiving as a prosecutor or judge wants to make it. Either of those two, the judge or the prosecutor could have taken steps to relieve Shaneen from this situation, but it didn’t happen,” they also denied her access to a diversionary program to avoid jail time.  She is going to have to go to trial and face this thing head on.  A plea offer was extended but she refused it, the deal was for 5 years with eligibility for parole after 3 and a half years.

Ms. Allen has been reported as saying, ““The judge tried to tell me that telling the truth messed me up, my life up and the cop said the same thing. Me opening my mouth and speaking out he said I’m one out of ten people that spoke up and was honest and that got me in trouble.”  Is this how we reward honesty, couldn’t the cop have told her that her permit wasn’t legit and let her return to her home state with that knew knowledge?  Is it right to rip someone from their family for doing the right thing?  Yes we can all say she should have known the laws and that is valid, but is this justified especially considering she was on her way home and she was honest? Honesty used to bring rewards especially concerning innocent mistakes, now honesty brings up to 11 years in prison and your children potentially going to the state.  But what do you think, should the prosecutor and/or the judge have let her go and thrown the case out?  Should the cop have let her go and told her she was in violation?

   Is she getting what she deserves?

If you live in that area and you feel her treatment is unjust, please call the County Prosecutors office and the New Jersey Governor who appoints them and let them know how you feel about it.

  Links are provided below.

Prosecutors office:
http://www.acpo.org/
609-909-7800

Governors Office:
http://www.state.nj.us/governor/
609-292-6000

http://www.my9nj.com/story/25996007/nj-gun-permit-problems
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/26222456/honest-gun-owning-mom-now-facing-11-years-behind-bars#.U-P0YRsJBgA.email