Some public defenders in Stark County get gun permits
CANTON — Public defender Richard Drake has a new reason to brag around the Stark County Courthouse.
It’s not a recent acquittal or a high-profile client.
It’s a small laminated card — similar to a driver’s license — that allows him to now carry a concealed handgun. Since he received the permit May 7, Drake has shown it proudly, claiming it is the first license issued in the county.
“I never would own a handgun unless I could carry it,” Drake said.
His is one of the 179 permits issued to date by the Stark County sheriff’s office, Maj. Rick Perez said. The office doesn’t keep track of which permit was issued first.
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Appointments to sign up for the licenses are booked until July.
Even though guns, except those carried by law enforcement officers, aren’t allowed in the Courthouse, it’s one of the places concealed-carry permits are catching on.
Barry Wakser, Drake’s colleague in the Stark County public defender’s office, was the first attorney to get a permit.
He applied in Holmes County on April 8, the day the law went into effect, and got his permit eight days later.
Former clients, some of them dangerous criminals, aren’t always pleased with the outcomes of their cases. But Wakser, who has been a recreational shooter for 12 years, said he probably would have applied for a permit whether he was a public defender or not.
Assistant Stark County Prosecutor Joe Vance said he plans on applying for a permit for the same reason he got a driver’s license when he turned 16 — because he can.
Still, a gun can’t be a constant companion. State law prohibits concealed carry in government buildings, meaning courthouses and the very office building where Wakser, Drake and Vance work.
“Normally, I don’t have it with me during the day,” Wakser said. “It’s impractical.”
But Drake said he takes his gun “everywhere,” except for his office, the Courthouse and liquor establishments.
“Securing a gun on your person is easy,” Drake said. “Securing it when it’s not on your person is the hard part.”
After the law has been in effect for a few months, the public will get used to the idea that some people are carrying guns, Drake said.
It’s a privilege that comes with a “great moral responsibility,” he added.
“You’re only supposed to use the gun to stop an attacker,” he said. “But you can’t ignore the fact that, in all likelihood, you will kill them.”
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