Constitutional Law

Interesting approach by OR sheriff

A newspaper (Mail-Tribune of Bedford OR) sued Sheriff Rob Gordon, to obtain the names of 10,000 CCW permit holders. He opposed on the ground that State law exempts from disclosure info that is related to personal security. The Circuit Court ruled that CCW permits aren't automatically related to security; that must be proven.

The sheriff came up with a novel idea, and polling CCW holders by mail to ask their reasons for obtaining a permit, and whether they want their data kept private.

Update: as I recall, when another paper tried this sort of story, local firearm rights groups researched and put online all publicly-available data on its editorial staff. Home addresses and phone numbers (obtained from voting registration forms), house size and valuations (from the county assessor's office), etc., etc, etc.. I seem to recall that the paper gained a newfound respect for privacy.

Full post as published by Of Arms and the Law on November 11, 2008 (boomark / email).