Ignoring his ''duty under the law'': Cuyahoga sheriff not ready to process apps

March 29, 2004
Crain's Cleveland Business

If you plan to get a license to carry a concealed weapon, don't go to
Cuyahoga County Sheriff Gerald McFaul's office. At least not right away.
Although the new Ohio law goes into effect April 8, Pat Kresty, chief of
staff for Sheriff McFaul, said the office won't be ready to process licenses
until sometime in May.

"We're going to be giving out licenses to carry out deadly weapons," Ms.
Kresty said. "We want to make sure we do it right."

Ms. Kresty said the office is remodeling a room on the first floor of the
Justice Center in downtown Cleveland, where the applications will be
processed. She said the county is spending $150,000 to modify space and
$30,000 for new equipment to handle concealed weapon license applications.

The licenses cost $45 for people who have lived in Ohio for more than five
years and $69 for people who have lived in the state less than five years.
The fees, which will be used to cover criminal background checks, are in
addition to the cost of a required certification course, which runs about
$150 to $200.

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Ohioans For Concealed Carry and the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association wish to remind Ohioans that the law gives sheriffs NO discretion in terms of when they may begin accepting applications, nor for adding additional requirements, nor for delaying the acceptance of license applications via mandatory appointments.

Buckeye State Sheriff's Association Executive Director Bob Cornwell stresses that sheriffs have a "duty under the law" to accept applications on April 8 to "everyone who shows up and files one", and to issue licenses to qualified applicants, within 45 days. Sheriffs must also be prepared to issue temporary emergency licenses to those meeting the requirements, on April 8.

OFCC will take any failures to comply with this shall-issue law with the utmost seriousness.

Related Story:
BSSA Exec. Dir.: Sheriffs have ''duty under law'' to accept apps April 8