Belchertown Suitability Case Update

[GOALJim]

Belchertown Suitability Case Update

Eastern Hampshire District Court (Doran v. Pacunas / docket 2498CV84)

www.goal.org/legal

In February of 2024, the Belchertown, MA firearm licensing authority denied resident Connor Doran a firearms license due to being determined “unsuitable”. That denial was appealed with the help of Attorney Dan Hagan of Springfield. In district court, Judge Bruce S. Melikian, ruled against Belchertown stating that the denial was “overly broad, vague and therefore arbitrary and capricious.”

After the judge ruled, the town then hired a Boston law firm. That firm filed a motion, on behalf of Belchertown, for a hearing to present further evidence. That motion was denied. As a result, the town is wasting more of its citizens’ money appealing their anti-Second Amendment policy.

GOAL has stepped in to help fund the appeal on this very important, and potentially historic case.

“Post Bruen, Massachusetts district courts have a whole new take on the egregious Massachusetts laws, regulations, and policies regarding the Second Amendment,” said Jim Wallace, Executive Director of GOAL. “GOAL will do everything we can to support Mr. Doran as the town attacks this pro-civil rights decision.”

To follow this, and other cases that GOAL is involved in: www.GOAL.org/legal

 

[StevieP]

more context

Judge overturns Belchertown police chief’s denial of firearms license to resident

BELCHERTOWN — Saying that Police Chief Kevin Pacunas’ decision to deny a firearms license to a resident earlier this year was “overly broad, vague and therefore arbitrary and capricious,” a judge last month ordered the town to grant the license.In...

www.amherstbulletin.com

 

[Buck F]

Jim, go green lol. Do you know how much we push GOAL memberships on NES?

 

[GOALJim]

Jim, go green lol. Do you know how much we push GOAL memberships on NES?

Can't figure how to do it without using PayPal.

 

[Broc Tuah]

GOAL has stepped in to help fund the appeal on this very important, and potentially historic case.

This is awesome

 

[Blackmore]

Can't figure how to do it without using PayPal.

Click on NES Memberships. Derek's address in New Hampshire is there for a check and it actually saves you a couple bucks over PayPal.

 

[Buck F]

Can't figure how to do it without using PayPal.

Yeah, definitely don't do that. I pay by CC every year

 

[steven grammont]

Can't figure how to do it without using PayPal.

Make him green , I'll pay for it........... Can admin make that happen?

 

[dcmdon]

I've lived in MA for 12 years. I've never understood how post-Heller/McDonald they could deny an LTC based on suitability.

My logic is this. Ownership of a handgun since McDonald is a constitutionally protected right.
MA requires an LTC to possess a handgun, even in the home.
So an LTC must be shall-issue unless the applicant is a prohibited person.

Can any of the sharp legal minds in this group enlighten me. (You know who you are. Groundscraper, Rob, etc)

 

[Reptile]

More info:

Judge overturns Belchertown police chief’s denial of firearms license to resident

BELCHERTOWN — Saying that Police Chief Kevin Pacunas’ decision to deny a firearms license to a resident earlier this year was “overly broad, vague and therefore arbitrary and capricious,” a judge last month ordered the town to grant the license. In February...

www.northeastshooters.com

 

[zork51]

Can't figure how to do it without using PayPal.

I believe you can mail a check. Or it used to be that way.

 

[Broc Tuah]

Make him green , I'll pay for it........... Can admin make that happen?

Yes, you can do that.

@kiver Paid for my first membership over a decade ago. I found out when I got a message that said "Merry Christmas".

 

[steven grammont]

Yes, you can do that.

@kiver Paid for my first membership over a decade ago. I found out when I got a message that said "Merry Christmas".

I assume admin would need to know where to allocate the payment

 

[steven grammont]

Yes, you can do that.

@kiver Paid for my first membership over a decade ago. I found out when I got a message that said "Merry Christmas".

Just noticed he's a GREEN member now

 

[paul73]

So, did she get a license or still not?

 

[Dr. Claw]

I knew someone who is a part of the problem there pushing a super leftist agenda, runs some weird podcast, and on some Belchertown board for women...I used to think it was a nice town and not sure what the rest of it is like but seeing this persons posts certainly makes me glad I'm not living there.

Even where I am which is fairly conservative its people like her that are working to get on the local boards, or elected offices/positions and then make things as awful as they are and set the tone. I know not a solution and just a complaint but sadly all of the more reasonable candidates who run just don't get elected as more uber progressives venture out into the burbs after they can't afford the areas they'd normally move to.

 

[Blackmore]

I knew someone who is a part of the problem there pushing a super leftist agenda, runs some weird podcast, and on some Belchertown board for women...I used to think it was a nice town and not sure what the rest of it is like but seeing this persons posts certainly makes me glad I'm not living there.

Did they close the state hospital? Might be the problem.

 

[Toast]

Did they close the state hospital?

No, just moved it to Beacon Hill.

 

[CR2001]

Belchertown Suitability Case Update

Eastern Hampshire District Court (Doran v. Pacunas / docket 2498CV84)

www.goal.org/legal

In February of 2024, the Belchertown, MA firearm licensing authority denied resident Connor Doran a firearms license due to being determined “unsuitable”. That denial was appealed with the help of Attorney Dan Hagan of Springfield. In district court, Judge Bruce S. Melikian, ruled against Belchertown stating that the denial was “overly broad, vague and therefore arbitrary and capricious.”

After the judge ruled, the town then hired a Boston law firm. That firm filed a motion, on behalf of Belchertown, for a hearing to present further evidence. That motion was denied. As a result, the town is wasting more of its citizens’ money appealing their anti-Second Amendment policy.

GOAL has stepped in to help fund the appeal on this very important, and potentially historic case.

“Post Bruen, Massachusetts district courts have a whole new take on the egregious Massachusetts laws, regulations, and policies regarding the Second Amendment,” said Jim Wallace, Executive Director of GOAL. “GOAL will do everything we can to support Mr. Doran as the town attacks this pro-civil rights decision.”

To follow this, and other cases that GOAL is involved in: www.GOAL.org/legal

Remember: Back Da’ Blue
These brave heroes have a really difficult job ya know….

 

[LTCRN]

I knew someone who is a part of the problem there pushing a super leftist agenda, runs some weird podcast, and on some Belchertown board for women...I used to think it was a nice town and not sure what the rest of it is like but seeing this persons posts certainly makes me glad I'm not living there.

Even where I am which is fairly conservative its people like her that are working to get on the local boards, or elected offices/positions and then make things as awful as they are and set the tone. I know not a solution and just a complaint but sadly all of the more reasonable candidates who run just don't get elected as more uber progressives venture out into the burbs after they can't afford the areas they'd normally move to.

Seems the poison is spreading from the epicenter, UmASS Amherst!

 

[Dr. Claw]

Seems the poison is spreading from the epicenter, UmASS Amherst!

its wild how all the crazy stuff I used to here there years ago I would always be like damn these people are nuts, and now those are the mainstream positions of many liberals.

 

[Agnotology]

I knew someone who is a part of the problem there pushing a super leftist agenda, runs some weird podcast, and on some Belchertown board for women...I used to think it was a nice town and not sure what the rest of it is like but seeing this persons posts certainly makes me glad I'm not living there.

Even where I am which is fairly conservative its people like her that are working to get on the local boards, or elected offices/positions and then make things as awful as they are and set the tone. I know not a solution and just a complaint but sadly all of the more reasonable candidates who run just don't get elected as more uber progressives venture out into the burbs after they can't afford the areas they'd normally move to.

I think I know the woman you are talking about, I helped re-do her siding in the rental on her property, painted all the wood, still have the Jean shorts and the pinkish-red paint on them

She refused to replace the 30 year old windows that were fogging up and had a negative R value.

Proceeded to say her 1 bedroom converted garage apartment was being rented for $2000 a month because it had a lot of space and a black chalkboard on a hollow concrete blocks and called it a solar mass heater . 15 years ago. Some poor "friend" of hers from Boston thought it was a great deal and made enough money working at UMass Amherst to not care.

she tried withholding my boss's payment until he agreed to do more work for her. He said yes, got his final payment for the last project, and never called her back again.

 

[BigGreen2000]

I knew someone who is a part of the problem there pushing a super leftist agenda, runs some weird podcast, and on some Belchertown board for women...I used to think it was a nice town and not sure what the rest of it is like but seeing this persons posts certainly makes me glad I'm not living there.

Even where I am which is fairly conservative its people like her that are working to get on the local boards, or elected offices/positions and then make things as awful as they are and set the tone. I know not a solution and just a complaint but sadly all of the more reasonable candidates who run just don't get elected as more uber progressives venture out into the burbs after they can't afford the areas they'd normally move to.

So Belchertown is still a very nice place to live in terms of 2A. In town, we have:

—2 gun clubs
—a retail gun store
—a full-time gunsmith
—one of the highest per-capita LTC rates in the state

 

[Dr. Claw]

So Belchertown is still a very nice place to live in terms of 2A. In town, we have:

—2 gun clubs
—a retail gun store
—a full-time gunsmith
—one of the highest per-capita LTC rates in the state

I used to go through there from time to time and it seemed nice, hopefully the people moving in aren't ruining it like they are other places, but like I said seeing the posts from that person its no surprise to me when I read things like those shared here if those are the type of people engaged in town government.

 

[BigGreen2000]

I used to go through there from time to time and it seemed nice, hopefully the people moving in aren't ruining it like they are other places, but like I said seeing the posts from that person its no surprise to me when I read things like those shared here if those are the type of people engaged in town government.

So BTown has a very nice sense of community and “team spirit” for lack of a better word. Our teenage son has gotten a real “Norman Rockwell” childhood experience here: he sees friends everywhere, there are town events on the green, he rides his bike to the Swift River to go fishing. There are some lefties coming in from Amherst. BUT, the $140-million boondoggle proposal to rebuild the middle school was solidly rejected, so sanity prevailed.

 

[Agnotology]

So Belchertown is still a very nice place to live in terms of 2A. In town, we have:

—2 gun clubs
—a retail gun store
—a full-time gunsmith
—one of the highest per-capita LTC rates in the state

Correction, you have a single FUDD shop that tried to sell a first time pistol buyer a Stoeger pistol for $100 over retail and lied about mag availability.

Swift River Gunworks is top notch though.