TexasCHLforum.com

lrpettit wrote:

Keith B wrote:One thing to add: Carrying in gray areas (30.06 sign not valid size or wording, school 'property' during certain events, etc) is a personal choice that each CHL holder must make for themselves. Every situation is different and the CHL'er must size up the situation and make their own go/no-go decision. If I have a gray area that I have to make a decision on I will look at it and say to myself 'Self, if you are caught carrying in this location can you make a really solid argument about why you chose to carry in the location and why it was NOT a valid prohibited location?'. If I can pose the question to myself in this manner and convince myself that it really isn't off-limits and that I am willing to argue that point even as far as court, then I will carry. If I can find more arguments that a lawyer could use to claim it IS a prohibited location than I can find to say it ISN'T, then I leave the CCW behind.

I think you also have to ask yourself if you're willing to spend the time and money to be the test case.

RottenApple wrote:

Keith B wrote:Enclosed means all sides. A fence all the way around would constitute being an 'enclosed' field; look at the definition I posted above. However, if there was no gate to go through or open access with a side that was not fenced and could not be closed off and access restricted by closing a gate, etc, then I would say it was not enclosed.

Just remember, a good lawyer will be capable of working words to make them meet their needs during a court battle. So, if you got one that had an agenda to go after you for carrying in a prohibited place, they could make a good argument for their cause that might sway the Judge and/or jury to side with them.

Good points.

Especially about the lawyer.

RottenApple wrote:

Keith B wrote:

Kodiak101 wrote:It's a very interesting conversation. I went this evening to my other sons lacrosse game. The field is on school property. There is a fence around the field, but anyone can enter the stands. There is no gate or fence around the stands.

There is a bathroom under the stands.

With this facility can I carry in the stands but not use the bathroom?

If it is an enclosed structure on owned by the school, then no you cannot carry there. Also, you said your son's sport was a league, but why are they allowed to use the school athletic fields? There may be a gray area if the school is sponsoring the league in a manner that they are allowing them to use the field at no cost. I am not a lawyer, but if I were a DA and wanted to push the issue I could argue that the school was sponsoring the event by giving them the fields to play on at no charge.

Wow. We do work in some grey areas with this one. For what it's worth (IANAL), I disagree with you "enclosed structure" statement.... Kinda. A fence w/o a gate would not, IMHO, be considered an "enclosed structure". Now, if it had a gate and/or a building/structure that you had to go through to get to the open air field (think: Roman Colosseum), then that would definitely qualify.

But you do make an excellent point regarding the free use of school grounds possibly counting as some sort of school sponsorship. I'd be interested in hearing from any of the lawyers on the board about that one.

Kodiak101 wrote:It's a very interesting conversation. I went this evening to my other sons lacrosse game. The field is on school property. There is a fence around the field, but anyone can enter the stands. There is no gate or fence around the stands.

There is a bathroom under the stands.

With this facility can I carry in the stands but not use the bathroom?

Sport Coach wrote:Good discussion. Years ago I had read "no kids' sports" and apparently incorrectly assumed all kids' sports were off limits carry, school sponsored or otherwise. Please point me to the law which describes designation of school sponsored sports and not just any sporting practice or event where kids are playing.

§ 46.035. UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUN BY LICENSE
HOLDER. (a) A license holder commits an offense if the license
holder carries a handgun on or about the license holder's person
under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code,
and intentionally fails to conceal the handgun.
(b) A license holder commits an offense if the license
holder intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries a handgun
under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code,
regardless of whether the handgun is concealed, on or about the
license holder's person:
(1) on the premises of a business that has a permit or
license issued under Chapter 25, 28, 32, 69, or 74, Alcoholic
Beverage Code, if the business derives 51 percent or more of its
income from the sale or service of alcoholic beverages for
on-premises consumption, as determined by the Texas Alcoholic
Beverage Commission under Section 104.06, Alcoholic Beverage Code;
(2) on the premises where a high school, collegiate,
or professional sporting event or interscholastic event is taking
place, unless the license holder is a participant in the event and a
handgun is used in the event;...

RottenApple wrote:

gdanaher wrote:Wooow. Any good prosecutor worth his salt is going to argue that a school owned stadium, even if it open air, is a school facility, and once you enter the ticket gate, you are inside a school facility, just as you would be if entering the adjoining high school. I would encourage you to rethink the idea of taking your concealed weapon into the stadium if it is owned by the school. Recreational soccer games, played on open fields with no permanent infrastructure are another matter.

The law doesn't say school "facility", it says school "premises" and defines that as a "building or portion of a building". As has been stated, as long as the OP doesn't enter the premises (a building or portion of a building), then they are good to go.

en·close/ɛnˈkloʊz/ Show Spelled [en-klohz]
verb (used with object), en·closed, en·clos·ing.
1. to shut or hem in; close in on all sides: a valley enclosed by tall mountains.
2. to surround, as with a fence or wall: to enclose land.
....