Can the city of Savannah fine or jail people for leaving guns in unlocked cars? A judge weighs in

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia gun owner’s attorney asked a judge Wednesday to halt enforcement of a Savannah city ordinance that imposes fines and possibly jail time for people who leave guns inside unlocked cars. Savannah’s mayor and city council voted unanimously in April to outlaw keeping firearms in unlocked vehicles, with maximum penalties of a $1,000 fine and 30 days in jail. They said the law would make it harder for criminals to steal guns, and cited local police statistics showing more than 200 guns reported stolen last year from vehicles that weren’t locked. “He’s disabled and it’s difficult for him to comply with the ordinance,” said Monroe, who gave no further details about Belt’s disability during a court hearing Wednesday. “He also doesn’t want to comply with the ordinance.” Chatham County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Karpf didn’t rule Wednesday on Belt’s motion to halt enforcement of the Savannah ordinance while considering his underlying lawsuit that seeks to have it thrown out permanently. Monroe said Savannah’s ordinance should be voided because it violates a state law prohibiting local governments from regulating “the possession, ownership, transport, (or) carrying” of firearms. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican, made the same argument in a May letter to Savannah officials stating that “no local ordinance can regulate firearms.” City officials ignored Carr’s warning that they could face civil liability for enforcing the ordinance. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, a Democrat and a former police officer, has supported the city’s ordinance as a way to make gun owners act responsibly without infringing on their rights to own or carry firearms. Bates Lovett, Savannah’s city government attorney, noted in court Wednesday that the state law cited by Belt’s lawyer and Carr doesn’t expressly say local governments can’t regulate gun storage. “We’re regulating the vehicle, not the firearm,” Lovett told the judge, adding that it’s perfectly legal in Savannah to store a gun in a car. “But once you leave the vehicle, you must lock that vehicle.” Monroe said Georgia courts have struck down attempts by other local governments to “indirectly” regulate guns, and that any limitations on gun storage by cities should be considered illegal restrictions on possession and ownership. Before deciding whether to block Savannah’s gun ordinance, the judge said he first has questions about whether Belt has legal standing to sue the city because he’s not a resident. If Karpf allows Belt’s lawsuit to move forward, the judge predicted a protracted legal battle that could wind through multiple Georgia courts. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://apnews.com/4e79c98cd9956962738ea06c688c3d52