Since this story is moving around, I thought I’d throw in my two cents. I just want to make it clear I’m not in any way advocating people not be careful with airline security, or not take it seriously. Anyone who goes through security with contraband and doesn’t get caught is extremely lucky, and you don’t want to depend on luck to stay out of trouble. It’s important to keep your wits about you as to your carry situation at all times, especially when crossing security checkpoints.
But let’s say, given that you’ve gotten past airport security with a gun you’d mistakenly forgotten you were carrying, why would you then turn yourself in? If it was me, and I somehow made it through TSA security with a pistol, I’d count my lucky stars, finish the flight, and get the hell out of dodge as fast as I could as soon as I landed.
It would be prudent at that point to contact an attorney to ask for advise on the situation, and also what to do now that you have to get the pistol back to where you came from, when its original journey was quite illegal.
I have sympathy for this woman, who made an honest mistake, and tried to do the right thing. I think the prosecutors would be wise to do the right thing on their part and not charge her. Otherwise, the next person who finds themselves in this situation would be wise to just keep their mouth shut. I mean, you wouldn’t be worried you were going to hijack the plane right? You can bet the terrorists won’t turn themselves in.
There was a case a few years back in Atlanta where a couple on their honeymoon realized that a borrowed piece of luggage belonging to the new bride’s mother contained a revolver that the mother left in the bag. The new bride thought the right thing to do was report to an Atlanta police officer what had happened and what she should do to rectify the situation. I don’t know if she had made it past security at the airport but she was promptly arrested. I don’t remember all the details but Neal Boortz (www.boortz.com) is an Atlanta based talk show host who I remember told the story and may have some info in his blog archives. I agree with you, if I made that mistake I would keep it to myself. Sometimes no good deed goes unpunished.
Interesting. Based on what Eugene Volokh posted about a few days ago, that shouldn’t be a crime. In order to be legally in possession of something, you have to know you’re in possession of it. I hope she got a good lawyer.
her other option is to get elected to something. Problem? What problem?
in your first paragraph you’ve said that “you don’t want to depend on luck to stay out of trouble”. but later on you state that “If it was me, and I somehow made it through TSA security with a pistol…”
I don’t understand how you use ‘somehow’. You’ve said you have to be “extremely lucky” to dodge the security with a gun.
Sort it out.
Umm… sort what out? I was telling people they need to be careful when they are carrying weapons. Especially when they are about to go into a sterile area in an airport.
“If it was me” is a hypothetical example. I wouldn’t end up in that situation because I am careful. What I didn’t understand that if you were lucky enough to not get caught at security, why would you turn yourself in and take the very real possibility of being prosecuted. For all intents and purposes, once you’re past security, you’ve gotten away with it. If I were this women, I would have beaten a hasty retreat out of the sterile area, and kept quiet.