Common sense prevails

On April 20, 2008, the Wichita Eagle’s Kansas.com reported the arrest of John Forrest for carrying a concealed weapon. John, having come from helping a neighbor carve a roast, traveled to the City Building to deliver some documents to the Mayor’s office pertaining to a proposed Youth Rugby League. However, John had forgotten that he had placed the carving knife in his bag after leaving his neighbor’s house. As John entered the City Building, he placed his bag in the x-ray machine where the knife was noticed by law enforcement. Despite the fact that the police apparently believed that this knife had accidentally been left in the bag, John was arrested an booked into jail for carrying a concealed weapon.

Carl Maughan of Maughan and Maughan LC represented Mr. Forrest in Municipal Court for one count of carrying a concealed weapon and intended to proceed to trial on the issues of whether the knife was in fact concealed on John’s person as required by the ordinance, whether John had knowingly carried a concealed weapon as required by the ordinance and whether the knife was in fact concealed when John willingly placed his bag through an x-ray machine which would be able to reveal the contents of his bag. However, a trial will no longer be necessary. On May 14, 2008 Mr. Maughan was notified by the city prosecutor’s office that the charges against Mr. Forrest are to be dismissed.

Common sense apparently prevailed in this case. We are very happy for Mr. Forrest.

Here is the original story by Hurst Laviana. www.kansas.com/213/story/378468.html