The NJ Firearms ID Application, Intentional Trap For The Unwary?

By Dan Roberts

New Jersey Firearms ID Card
The NJ Firearms ID Application, Intentional Trap For The Unwary?
AmmoLand Gun News
AmmoLand Gun News

Manasquan, NJ –-(Ammoland.com)- In an effort to present a full picture to the plight of outspoken NJ Gun law critic James Kaleda,  I felt it wise to devote an entire column to the dissection of the New Jersey Firearms Purchaser Identification card application.

An unwary or naive applicant can easily run afoul of the law, through no real fault of their own and absent any criminal intent or deliberate effort to mislead or provide false information

The exact nature of the information Mr. Kaleda has been accused of falsifying is unknown to date. But I am of the firm belief that his detainment is retribution for his vocal opposition against proposed New Jersey’s anti gun legislation. Based on experience and numerous reputable sources, as well as the fact that Mr Kaleda previously held a New Jersey Resident Firearms Identification Card. In addition Mr. Kaleda successfully purchased numerous firearms when he was a New Jersey resident.

An applicant, through no real fault of their own, when completing the New Jersey Firearms Purchaser Identification card forms, can be caught in this clerical trap. That is what James Kaleda has been charged with by the NJ State Police, providing “false information” on a Non Resident Firearms ID Card Application. A “crime” that is a Third Degree Felony under NJ Law.  Punishable by up to five years in State Prison!

That is right, the openly institutionalized Anti Gun Bigotry that is practiced in NJ is so over the top that an otherwise innocent citizen, having absolutely no prior record of any kind, could face incarceration in state prison if found guilty of a simple clerical error.

As more people become aware of what has happened to Mr Kaleda, I have been deluged with reports from other persons around the state concerning similar injustice.  But I have yet to discover another New Jersey resident pursued to the lengths that Mr Kaleda has been pursued by the New Jersey State Police.  That is not to say those cases don’t exist, merely that I have not heard about them yet.

I seen random reports of New Jersey Firearms Purchaser Identification card applicants being advised that one or more of their answers to the ten specific questions asked on the Firearms Purchaser Identification card application were “wrong” ( also known as false). The applicants were permitted to come in and make the necessary correction with no reprisals.  Other applicants reported having their New Jersey Firearms Purchaser Identification card application denied, forcing the applicant to appeal that denial to the County Superior Court and having the denial overturned. I have found no other instance where the New Jersey State Police has detained an Individual Firearms Purchaser Identification card applicant for a clerical error.

There are any number of potential explanations for why some mistakes on the FID card Card application are handled simply by allowing the applicant the opportunity to change their answer(s), as opposed to treating them like a hardened criminal involved in a deliberate effort to deceive.

Things as unpredictable as the personal views, opinions or biases of the Officer who accepts the completed paperwork.  To the Officer that actually conducts the formal background check and review of the application at the local or State level as the case may be.  To an Officer at the State Police Firearms Investigation Unit, or the local Chief of Police who signs off and approves the ID Card, even the Prosecutor in the town/municipality where the applicant lives. All have the discretionary authority as to how to handle clerical errors on the application.

Friendly with the local Chief or politically connected or powerful? Chances are 9 times out of 10 you will be offered the opportunity to make changes with no repercussions or simply have your application denied without being referred for charges.

The case of Camden City Councilman Curtis Jenkins is a perfect illustration of this in practice.  Curtis is quoted in the linked article as saying he was “unaware that he was required to report a non violent offense” on his Firearms Purchaser Identification card application. As far as I can determine, Curtis was never charged with a criminal offense of “providing false information” and his Firearms Purchaser Identification card Card and related paperwork and pistol purchase permits were quietly revoked and turned over with no further action.

Does Curtis’ excuse make him any less guilty of the offense? The Firearms Purchaser Identification card application is pretty clear on the question of whether or not the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime (Question 20). It makes no distinction as to whether or not the crime one was convicted of was violent or non violent, its based on the possible sentence that could have been handed down upon a finding or plea of guilt.

So, a City Councilman, in one of the most dangerous cities in the country, makes a rather large “mistake” on his Firearms Purchaser Identification card application and it is handled relatively quietly. With the appearance of an investigation as little more then Kabuki theater and not much else. Certainly NOT the issuance of an arrest warrant or charges being filed.

I’ve been saying for years, in New Jersey, when it comes to the application of gun laws, it is Orwell’s Animal Farm” come to life.

Which questions on the New Jersey Firearms Purchaser Identification card application are the most problematic and likely to ensnare the unwitting? I will raise the most troublesome ones and provide examples of how they can trap people in no particular order:

Question #17 States: “Are you subjected to any Court Order pursuant to Domestic Violence? “

Given the fact that the application is a type of Background Check Form asking repeatedly about criminal offenses and other disqualifying incidents in ones background, it is quite understandable how someone could innocently and naively answer this question wrong.

I have heard from people that it has happened to. Naturally, if you haven’t been accused, committed or been found guilty of a crime related to Domestic Violence, an applicants natural instinct is to answer NO.

However, I have been made aware of instances where even the (victim) of Domestic Violence was advised that this was considered incorrect to answer NO and would be “providing false information”.  And, if those in power wanted to, could be used as evidence against them. Technically that is accurate. As even a victim who files for and receives a Temporary Restraining Order or Final Restraining Order is in fact then “subject to any Court Order pursuant to Domestic Violence”. Its also true that a space is offered on the form to explain in more detail beyond just checking the box. But few if any reasonable people, as the victims of Domestic Violence, filling out the application for themselves, would rationally consider answering that question in the affirmative. The usually safe assumption , given the subject matter and previous questions is that the question refers to someone being the (accused).

Question #21 asks: Do you suffer from a physical defect or disease ? And the follow up #22, elaborates . ” If answer to question #21 is yes, does this make it unsafe to handle firearms ? If not, explain.

How this question manages to survive its potential use for discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act is a mystery. And there have in fact been cases where an applicant was denied as a result of some illness or handicapped status and then had to go to the incredible and costly lengths of suing the State to have the rejection overturned. Not to mention the vagueness of the question itself? What is type of suffering and to what level? What qualifies as a physical defect?

Question #26 wants to know: “Have you ever been tended, treated or observed by any Doctor or psychiatrist, or at any hospital or mental institution, on in inpatient or outpatient basis for any mental or psychiatric condition? “

Clearly this question can be the undoing of any number of people for completely innocent reasons, and expose them to the possibility of being charged with a crime.

  • If you have gone through a messy separation, divorce or other significant life event and needed someone to talk things out, is the correct answer yes or no?
  • If you are a cop that has been involved in a shooting and troubled by it, or a member of Fire Rescue that has seen a particularly gruesome scene and you see a “Crisis Counselor” in the aftermath of the incident , either individually or as part of a group does that count as being “tended or treated for any mental or psychiatric condition”?
  • What about our noble and heroic Veterans, having seen and survived the unimaginable horrors of War and they speak to someone, even a single time, about PTSD is the correct answer yes or no?
  • Trying to quit smoking and your general practitioner Doctor prescribes one of several “Anti Depressants” that are often effective at helping to quit? You are now by most anyone’s definition being “treated by a Doctor” and taking a prescribed drug that is often used in the treatment of “mental conditions“, even if that is not the case for you.
  • Something as simple as Postpartum Depression could trigger exposure to a charge of  “providing false information”
  • What if, as a teenager, you are at odds with your parents who insist on having you evaluated? Fast forward twenty years, the incident long forgotten. You have a happy and stable life, your own home, a good job, you’ve even patched things up with Mom and Dad? You apply for a NJ Firearms ID Card and check “no” . Then you are told that is not true and you provided “false information”? Yes it has happened.
  • What about having the same name or other identifying information as an actual criminal? You guessed it, your application is flagged and you are told you “provided false information“.

Can examples such as these be resolved without having charges filed? Yes they can, but as I pointed out at the beginning of the article, depending on the completely unpredictable nature of the Officials involved in the processing of the paperwork. One applicant might be offered a chance to correct the clerical error. Or you may have to appeal to the County Superior Court. Or you may have charges filed against you and having to defend yourself as in the case of James Kaleda.

At the risk of violating Goodwins Law, I will point out there are at least two indisputable examples of the practice of those deemed “mentally unfit” or “undesirable” or political enemies being forcibly disarmed and persecuted by their respective Governments. The Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, both documented socialist regimes.

And finally, there is Question #28: “Are you presently, or have you ever been a member of any organization which advocates or approves the commission of acts of force and violence, either to overthrow the Government of the United States or of this State, or which seeks to deny others their rights under the Constitution of either the United States or the State of New Jersey? If yes, list name and address of organization(s)”

It is the height of irony that a significant number of people in all three branches of Government in NJ would be forced to answer Yes to this question. For they regularly draft, enact, and enforce laws whose sole purpose is intentionally designed to deprive Citizens of their Second Amendment Rights!

Authors Note: Although the copy of the FID Card app attached to this article is for a NJ Resident FID Card, and Mr Kaleda has been charged with “falsifying information” on the NON Resident version of the application, there is little if any difference between the two applications and any that may exist are so minor as to be irrelevant for the purposes of this column.

Application for Firearms Purchaser Identification Card and or Handgun Purchase Permit

About Dan Roberts Dan Roberts is a grassroots supporter of gun rights that has chosen AmmoLand Shooting Sports News as the perfect outlet for his frank, ‘Jersey Attitude’ filled articles on Guns and Gun Owner Rights.As a resident of the oppressive state of New Jersey he is well placed to be able to discuss the abuses of government against our inalienable rights to keep and bear arms as he writes from deep behind NJ’s Anti-Gun iron curtain. Read more from Dan Roberts or email him at [email protected] You can also find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dan.roberts.18

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1389AD

Simple: Stay away from New Jersey. Don’t live there, don’t do business there, don’t own property there, don’t even travel through the state.

Rick

I wanted to change my address on my f.i.d.card and am being told I have to go through complete application process including fingerprinting. I’ve maintained a clean record and my prints haven’t changed! Then there’s the mental health waiver I am now requested to sign, which flies in the face of the health privacy act for which everyone received copies of when they go to the doctor or hospital. So I have to give up one set of rights to pursue another?? What if I refuse?All I want is a clerical change of address. They can run my background check..it… Read more »

Poog Powell

I have been a homeowner in West Orange for 17 years. My property taxes have always been paid on time (about $150,000). I applied for a fireams id card and two pistol permits earlier this year. I have two solid references of which one is a twenty years veteran of a local police department. My application was completed on March 11th. I have no criminal record and for the last six months I’ve been getting the run around. I check in once a month at the police station to inquire about the status of my application. Each time I appear… Read more »

robert reiss

n.j. law says the pros. office has 45 days from when they receive your guns to apply to keep them or give them back if they do not apply to keep them. my local police kept my guns for 22 days before they turned them over to the pros. office. i believe the 45 days should start when , acting as there agent ,the pros. time of 45 days should start when there agent picked up my guns. its very hard to fight the law and expensive , and there is no penalty for them being wrong or malicious. i,m… Read more »

Bill

Ben Franklin stated, If you give up a liberty for security,you will lose both

John Kersey

Is there any benefit to having a lawyer assist in the firearms purchase permit application in New Jersey? Could that help a person avoid pitfalls in the process and/or protect them should any or their (the applicant) answers be “considered” false, inaccurate etc? I am a N.J. Homeowner and i want a long gun (rifle/shotgun) for home defense. Also, do i stand a better chance of applying for a long gun permit as opposed to a pistol permit, and would that even matter in the initial process of applying for the, I guess you could say, general, generic, or nonspecific… Read more »

jeremy

I just received a call from a detective in my city of pittsburgh telling me i had a felony and misdeameanor charges pending for false info. The arrest in question was a ten year old dui from my early twenties. I was unaware that i couldbhave been sent to jail for 5yrs… all i received was probation and since my lawyer did the negotiating i was not aware. So now they are charging basically.for.misinformation even though i feel i was not in the wrong. I guess we will see how it goes, fingers crossed

al canino

I HAD TO GO INTO MY LOCAL PD WHEN I FILLED OUT A PISTOL PURCHASE PERMIT JUST OVER A YEAR AGO (11/2012)AND WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT THE ANSWERS ON A FEW QUESTIONS THAT I ANSWERED “WRONG” TO TWO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. I WENT IN, SPOKE TO THE POLICE LIEUTENANT IN CHARGE. 1ST QUESTION ANSWERED WRONG; WAS I EVER IN THE MILITARY AND DID I RECEIVE A HONORABLE DISCHARGE OR NOT? NOW I KNOW FOR CERTAIN I ANSWERED NO TO BOTH- I NEVER SERVES NOR DID I RECEIVE A BAD DISCHARGE FROM THE SERVICE 2ND QUESTION THA WAS ANSWERED WRONG, WAS WAS I… Read more »

Camerman

New Germany has no right to Permit a Person Just to obtain their RTKBA, they should Fight this Stoopid Law all the way to the SCOTUS,,,

Kevin McGonigal

Also, while we are at it, has anyone thought of contacting Fox News on the Kaleda story? National prominence might get NJ to back off.

brian winters

In Nj enforcement of permits is a maze. In the early 1990s on northern nj town had an acting chief as the former one was ill and would return in 4-5 months.The acting chief hated handguns. He did not sign any applications that had been approved in accordance with the law. He was reiring and knew before it went to court he would be gone. The returning chief had to sign over 400 approved permis. Nothing happened tot he acting chief.

Longbow

Why to the good citizens of New Jersey put up with this. Bullies and Thugs behave the way they do because nobody stops them. Bullies and Thugs are cowards deep inside. Even the ones who work in Government jobs.

Kevin McGonigal

Has any organization ever given thought to bringing suit against this filing process either in state or federal court? It sounds to me that this would be an excellent test case to challenge the whole basis of the NJ process. What about it NRA or NJ affiliates?

Frankie

Kevin you bring up an excellent point, but with all the tax dollars that they charge us, we cannot keep up in a court of law. I have been waiting over six months so far and they are telling me that I will know more in about three weeks or so. I am just changing my address because I sold my house.nothing more. I really wish we had a group go up against them as that would be the answer to hopefully beat them. Frankie from unfortunately a new jersey resident …

Chip

You have shown in this article why denying someone the RKBA simply because of “mental illness” is a dangerous idea, as well as why (as a general rule) there should be no need for any “firearms permit” of any type.