Oregon group wants to know who the HCP owners are

[analog_kidd]

Heard about this on the radio this afternoon...

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/newsroom/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003659418

NEW YORK The Mail Tribune in Medford, Ore., filed suit Oct. 12 against Sheriff Mike Winters to obtain a list of Jackson County's approximately 6,500 holders of concealed handgun licenses. The paper is trying to learn how many teachers hold such licenses.

The issue arose out of other another suit, in which a high school teacher challenged the Medford School District's ban on employees bringing guns on school property. The Mail Tribune has looked into the matter as a school security issue.

Responsible for the handgun license list, Sheriff Winters denied a request, first made over a month ago, for the list, citing reasons of privacy and safety, according to an account in yesterday's Mail Tribune. Calling the list a public record, the newspaper maintains that refusal to disclose it is illegal, adding that other sheriffs' offices have turned over such documents.

Reporter Paris Achen quoted Editor Bob Hunter as saying, "This is information bought and paid for by the public, and the public has a right to it."

Hunter said the Mail Tribune said has no plan to publish license holders' names, seeking the information only to understand the reach a ruling on the Katz lawsuit could have.

Among other things, licensees are required to sign and application that states that the license is public record. The paper noted that Multnomah County has released license holders' names, birth dates and license numbers to The Oregonian and Willamette Week in Portland. The Sheriff's office there handed over its list reluctantly, fearing the information would be used for identity theft or credit card fraud.

The paper further noted that the director of the Oregon Firearms Education Foundation, which is financing Katz's suit, recognized that the licenses are public records, even though he would prefer to see the licensees' privacy protected.

[Fallguy]

Yep I saw it on the news tonight also.

What's bad in TN it is public record. A news station in Knoxville, WBIR, has already got the name of ALL the HCP holders in TN and did an piece about it.

Thankfully the did not give out any actually names or address, but I sure hope the legislature will eventually do something about this.

[towerclimber37]

heh.. a VA. newspaper DID publish the names of HCP holders, in their online newspaper, claiming freedom of information and that folks deserved to know who was carrying. they gave names and addresses online...until a parole officers' wife complained that there were strangers coming around the house...I should imagine that the newspaper was threatened with a lawsuit for reckless endangerment or somesuch....they took that site down.

lets see what happens in oregon.

[Guest tadams]

... reckless endangerment or somesuch....they took that site down.

lets see what happens in oregon.

Reckless, to say the VERY least.

Watching...

Travis

[cadillacdude1975]

it is no ones f*cking business if i carry. bastards.

[Marswolf]

The Nashville rag did put the HCP list online for a little while in a database. Took it down after they got a lot of hate email.

[Guest bkelm18]

If they do, just make it publicly known the name and address of every person who works at the paper. They'll change their tune right quick when people start showing up at their house. An eye for an eye.

[Guest CrazyLincoln]

Well, if they get it and publish it, they'd only be hurting school security. ie. "Mrs. Smith carries? Well, I have Mrs. Jones and I know shes not packing...."

[molonlabetn]

Well, if they get it and publish it, they'd only be hurting school security. ie. "Mrs. Smith carries? Well, I have Mrs. Jones and I know shes not packing...."

....legally.

[creeky]

heh.. a VA. newspaper DID publish the names of HCP holders, in their online newspaper, claiming freedom of information and that folks deserved to know who was carrying. they gave names and addresses online...until a parole officers' wife complained that there were strangers coming around the house...I should imagine that the newspaper was threatened with a lawsuit for reckless endangerment or somesuch....they took that site down.

The Tennessean did the same thing. It was up for just a few hours. They had it in a nice database that made it easy to look up holders by zip code and/or city. I must admit to have looked into my own city and was amazed at how many people I knew that also had permits. Small world.

[towerclimber37]

If they do, just make it publicly known the name and address of every person who works at the paper. They'll change their tune right quick when people start showing up at their house. An eye for an eye.

well..not always so...the writers and editors of most rags don't have anything most folks want....BUT, if you did like they did with the editor for that VA. newspaper (they posted a picture of her house with a wonderful note about how she is unarmed and hey, look at that! her windows and doors aren't very secure! it was a really nice house in an elegant area of town..they also gave the address, tax records and just about every other thing that they could find under public records.) you may get a different tune.

these folks are going to learn that while there ARE some things that are public record..its better to mind your own business unless instead of trying to antagonize a large group of people.