Carpentersville trustee wants conceal carry in town

Could conceal carry become the law of the land in Carpentersville?

At least one trustee hopes so.

Although carrying concealed weapons is illegal in Illinois, village Trustee Doug Marks has found what he believes is an exception to the law and says it’s legal to carry weapons, provided a certified owner has unloaded the firearm and placed it inside a fanny pack.

Village President Ed Ritter says Carpentersville has worked hard to clean up its image and that Marks’ proposal could undermine those efforts. Village Attorney James Rhodes is researching whether Marks’ proposal is legal.

Marks got the information from Conceal Carry, a group advocating for such. Marks doesn’t belong to the group but keeps track of what it’s doing.

In a letter from Conceal Carry, the group cites a 1997 appellate court decision from Champaign County in advising police to allow people to carry an unloaded firearm, ammunition magazines and a valid FOID card in a fanny pack.

Continued: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120304/news/703049891/