2007 State Fair of Texas - Important CHL Update

[frankie_the_yankee]

My personal advice (not as a police officer) to anyone wanting to pursue this avenue would be to go to the gate and ask one of the State Fair security people to have a Dallas Police officer brought over. Tell that officer that you don't think the State Fair rules are legal and that you plan to "challenge" those rules. Tell him you plan to enter (or attempt to enter) the State Fair and you understand that you will be issued a CT warning by a State Fair representative. Tell the officer that you plan to violate that warning and understand that you will be arrested, but under no circumstance do you want to cause a scene or any problems for that officer - that you understand that he or she is just doing their job.

Aw! You left out all the good parts!

1) Get out your wallet and bail yourself out of jail.
2) Resign yourself to not seeing your gun again for quite a while, if ever.
3) Get out your wallet and write a HUGE check to your legal defense team.
4) Most likely, IMO, lose in the end.
5) Possibly do some time.
6) Lose your CHL for 5 or 7 years (something like that).

IANAL, but MY personal advice as a fellow gun owner, CHL'er, and compassionate human being is to let the TSRA pursue this and get a definitive court ruling of some kind.

[Sly Dog]

I would like to publicly thank CHL/LEO for keeping us informed of the situation. It has saved myself & my family allot of headache, as I would have traveled to the Fair this year without knowing the new rules. It would have been a wasted day, as I would not have stayed for the Fair without being armed. It saved me a minimum of 4 hours travel time.

[CHL/LEO]

Just got a call from my supervisor and we've now been told that the State Fair management has decided to allow CHL holders onto the premises. It seems like a lot of phone calls has caused them to change directions. CHL holders will need to notify security at the gates that they have a weapon and a State Fair representative will be called to the location to verify the CHL is in order.

An interesting point that came to light is that a lot of the vendors that operate at the fair have CHLs and they were extremely upset to find out that they might not be allowed in without their weapons. I'm sure that that might have had something to do with it too. Hopefully this will put an end to it but you never know.

[Renegade]

ETA - This POST can be disregarded. Question answered in post right above this one - "call from supervisor". Thanks for the info CHL/LEO!

Please don't get onto me or any member of the DPD that's working the Fair regarding the legality of whether 30.06 or 30.05 applies to this event.

Hmm. That brings up an interesting point. How do you determine whether to enforce a law or not if you do not know if it applies legally or not? Do you not make a judgement call on your own, or has some edict been handed down from upper management?

Here is the official stand on guns:

Question: Can I bring:
...a gun? No, with one exception.
A person holding a valid concealed handgun license is permitted to enter onto State Fair property with his/her concealed handgun. Licenses will be examined at the entrance by an authorized security supervisor. Handguns will not be permitted inside the Cotton Bowl, a facility defined under Texas Penal Code 46.035 as "the premises where a high school, collegiate or professional sporting event or interscholastic event is taking place." We want the Fair to be a fun and safe experience.

Does this mean Peace Officers will also be denied entry, as their is no exception for them?

What about out-of-state Officers carrying under HR218 (for lack of a better term), are they going to be denied entry? Their is no exception for them either.

This is a real mess if you ask me, probably why I have not been to the State Fair in 12+ years, or just about any other place with 30.06 if I have a choice....

[Sly Dog]

OFF TOPIC: You have got to get rid of the BUG it is driven me crazy I thought we had bugs

Carl - I don't see any bugs/insects. You should spray your monitor with some bug spray if your seeing bugs.

[Sly Dog]

Just got a call from my supervisor and we've now been told that the State Fair management has decided to allow CHL holders onto the premises. It seems like a lot of phone calls has caused them to change directions. CHL holders will need to notify security at the gates that they have a weapon and a State Fair representative will be called to the location to verify the CHL is in order.

An interesting point that came to light is that a lot of the vendors that operate at the fair have CHLs and they were extremely upset to find out that they might not be allowed in without their weapons. I'm sure that that might have had something to do with it too. Hopefully this will put an end to it but you never know.

This is GREAT! Thanks again CHL/LEO.

[frankie_the_yankee]

Just got a call from my supervisor and we've now been told that the State Fair management has decided to allow CHL holders onto the premises. It seems like a lot of phone calls has caused them to change directions. CHL holders will need to notify security at the gates that they have a weapon and a State Fair representative will be called to the location to verify the CHL is in order.

An interesting point that came to light is that a lot of the vendors that operate at the fair have CHLs and they were extremely upset to find out that they might not be allowed in without their weapons. I'm sure that that might have had something to do with it too. Hopefully this will put an end to it but you never know.

Outstanding!

[Keith B]

I just got off the phone with the PR department and was told the same thing.

Calm heads and voices can prevail!!!!

Thanks for the heads-up CHL/LEO. This was a good one!

[AEA]

Very sensible decision.

Thanks for the update.

[GrandmasterB]

CHL holders will need to notify security at the gates that they have a weapon and a State Fair representative will be called to the location to verify the CHL is in order.

If I notify security that I have a CHL, am I not breaking state law??

What if I just follow the law and keep it concealed? Will they search people as they enter? Metal detectors?

[DoubleJ]

If I'm not a complete tard (that's been debated, btw), just telling someone you have a CHL doesn't necessarily fall in "Failure to Conceal."
now, you skin that smoke wagon, well..... bit different story.

you're just informing someone of your legal ability to carry a hg.

[Cipher]

NO, stating that you have a CHL is not a crime. Taking your weapon out of it's holster, waving it around and stating "I have a CHL" is a crime.

I would go as far as saying that informing an officer that you are a CHL holder and presently armed is not a crime either - you are not brandishing and you aren't being threatening.

[cbr600]

They do use metal detectors.

[jbirds1210]

CHL/LEO-

Thank you for all of the information you provided throughout this thread....it is very valuable.

The State Fair doesn't have to worry about me....I have learned enough in this thread alone to know that I will not be giving them my money.

[OnTexasTime]

since there is a chance I might be forced into going to the fair next week I found this thread very interesting

thanks CHL/LEO

also thanks to TSRA for their heads up email