Formal path to full pistol permits set by Saratoga Co. Sheriff

By Gordon Woodworth, Chronicle News Editor

Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo announced that there will soon be a formal path for residents who want an unrestricted concealed carry pistol permit.

“We are putting together an all-day course that would include four hours in the classroom, a written test and live-fire safety with a certified National Rifle Association instructor at a firing range,” Sheriff Zurlo told The Chronicle Monday.

To be eligible to obtain an unrestricted pistol permit, a resident would have to have a restricted pistol permit for one year and then successfully complete the course.

“If they do that, they can apply for an unrestricted permit, and the paperwork will be sent to Saratoga County Judge Jim Murphy,” Sheriff Zurlo said. “It will then be up to him. We process the permits. The Judge is the one who issues the permits.”

Sheriff Zurlo said he met with Judge Murphy, the former long-time Saratoga County District Attorney, earlier this year, and said the judge “was open to the idea. So we’re getting a plan together and meeting with local gun clubs.”

Judge Murphy had not returned a call for comment when this article was posted.

Sheriff Zurlo said, “I hope to offer two courses a month…We have 10 gun ranges, and I hope to offer courses in the north, the middle and the south. We’re shooting for Aug. 1 to get this going.”

He said that when he’s out in the public, “people tell me this is an issue they wanted looked out. We have 19,000 permit holders in the county. We’re going to start slow and make sure we doing it right. I don’t want to overburden my staff.”

He said information on upcoming courses would be posted on the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Facebook and Twitter pages, and on their web site, www.saratogacountysheriff.org.

Sheriff Zurlo said his June 17 press release announcing the formal path to unrestricted pistol permits received more than 60,000 views and more than 300 “shares.”

“This is long overdue,” he said.

Sheriffs Bud York, Jeff Murphy both think ‘it’s great’

We contacted Warren County Sheriff Bud York and Washington County Sheriff Jeff Murphy to ask their thoughts on Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo’s plan.

“I think it’s great,” said Sheriff York. “It’s certainly something we would do in this county if the Judge [John Hall] would do it. I don’t know if he would or not. You would have to ask him.

“It will be great to see how they do it. If people in Warren County are interested in doing that, I certainly would propose it. But again, it would depend on whether Judge Hall would be open to it.”

Sheriff Murphy said, “I think it’s great. It sounds like a great idea. There are a lot of requirements to change from a ‘sportsmen’s license,’ as they call it, to a conceal carry permit, but we look at the record and if everything checks out, we make a recommendation to Judge [Kelly] Mc-Keighan.,,, If we write a letter of support and it meets the criteria the Judge has set, he’ll do it.

“I’ve always been an advocate of some type of live training…I liken it to a driver’s license. You get your permit and then you must show that you can drive a car. This is the same kind of thing.

“It will be interesting to see how it plays out. It’s certainly something I would talk to Judge McKeighan about here.”

Sheriff York contends that “some judges across New York are legislating something that they should not be doing.”

He argues, “There is no restriction anywhere in the New York State Penal Law or the Constitution. Judges in New York are taking it upon themselves to legislate from the bench on this issue. Section (f) clearly states that a license shall be issued to have and concealed without regard to employment or place of possession by any person when proper cause exists for the issuance thereof.“

Sheriff York says, “I believe the Constitutional right to bear arms by law-abiding citizens of Warren County are being infringed by having their permits restricted to hunting and target shooting only.” — Gordon Woodworth

Judge Hall: Supreme Court says states can restrict pistol permits to protect the public

We e-mailed Warren County Judge John Hall to tell him about Sheriff Bud York’s comments and to give him an opportunity to respond. We also asked his thoughts about Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo’s plan to create a “formal path” to unrestricted pistol permits.

“I have not heard of Sheriff Zurlo’s plan and cannot comment on it,” he wrote. “However I disagree with the statements attributed to Sheriff York.”

Judge Hall writes in part:

“1 — New York Penal Law Sec 400.00 (2) (f) prevents a Judge from issuing an unrestricted license except “when proper cause exists for the issuance thereof.”

“2 — I have issued approximately 1,000 unrestricted permits where proper cause was demonstrated as required by that law.”

Judge Hall adds:

“In the landmark case of District of Columbia v Heller, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized that individual citizens, not merely a “well organized militia” have rights to firearms.

“However the Court also recognized that states have the rights to restrict those rights to protect the public….” — G.W.

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