LAWMAKER: SENDING SHANEEN ALLEN TO PRISON WOULD BE A MISTAKE

A woman who is licensed to carry a firearm in Pennsylvania and would have completely fine with having that firearm in 30 other states, was arrested in NJ after she informed police during a traffic stop that she had a firearm in the vehicle she was driving. She is looking at three years for that. The prosecutor would not even cut her a break by putting her into the pretrial intervention program, which is a program that puts first time offenders on a probationary period for a certain amount of time and if completed successfully would mean she does not have a criminal record. The WTF of this story: This same prosecutor was the one who gave that option to football player and domestic abuser Ray Rice!

NJ 101.5

Philadelphia resident Shaneen Allen is a single mother of two with no criminal record, but she is facing a mandatory three-year prison term because last year she was caught with a gun in New Jersey that she’s legally allowed to possess in Pennsylvania. Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick doesn’t think Allen should go to jail as a result of the violation.

“I’m convinced that when we passed this law that we were not looking to put Shaneen Allen in jail,” said Bramnick (R-Westfield). “We cannot have a woman without a criminal with two children going to state prison for what I consider a serious mistake.”

Under legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Ron Dancer (R-Jackson) judges would have the option of not sending someone like Allen to prison if the person from out-of-state is caught with a gun in New Jersey and meets three requirements.

“Number one, the individual would have no criminal record. Number two, the individual would have no known association or affiliation with any street gangs and number three, the individual must be in compliance with its home state gun laws,” Dancer said when he introduced the bill in August.

The Atlantic County prosecutor is reviewing the Allen case. If a settlement is reached that doesn’t include prison time that would be great Bramnick said, but if Allen is sent to jail the assemblyman said he will ask for a special session of the legislature to pass Dancer’s bill.

“This is a case where a woman who has no criminal record should not go to jail,” Bramnick said.

State Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May Court House) also sponsors legislation to give judges discretion in cases where people are charged with unlawful possession of a firearm while in New Jersey.

“I urge the prosecutor to allow Ms. Allen into the pretrial intervention program,” Van Drew said in an emailed statement. “Locking up a single mother of two because of a misunderstanding of the law would be a travesty. The diversion program is the appropriate and fair way to resolve this case.”