Hypothetical due to a detour today.

[Darksideblues42]

I was running an errand at lunch and the road I normally use was closed due to an accident. The detour I was directed to passed through the campus of a high school. I had no choice in the matter, as the officer had the road blocked and was not allowing u-turns.

I wasn't carrying (my trip involved a post office stop) but what does this scenario do if I hadn't been planning on the post office stop?

Is it a case of extraordinary circumstances, and no harm, no foul? (My thought)

Or a case of "you are screwed, because Massachusetts"?

 

[one-eyed Jack]

Len can tell you more, but I think that you are ok on the PO property but not inside. Jack.

 

[inkdesigner]

I think the OP's bigger concern is what would happen to him should he have an interaction with PD while on the road that passes thru the high school campus and he was carrying.

I think, in part, it will rest on whether or not the road is considered part of the school property or not. For instance, in Lowell, several roads cross thru the UMass Lowell campus but are not actually considered school property, so folks are good to go when carrying on them.

 

[greencobra]

i'm a bad gun owner. I go to the post office. if I happen to have a gun in my pants at the time I need to go, (just caught that, doesn't sound good) I still go in. I've been to city hall and the police station once or twice. maybe i'm stupid but I don't give it another thought when i'm out and about. if they put a metal detector at the entrances i'll be more cognizant.

recently, the main route I take had a detour up the driveway of a grammar school and down and out the other side to avoid a construction site. you know, never even gave it a thought until now. did that for 3 days too. that school is my polling place, I do not carry to vote.

 

[voidoid]

I go to the post office. if I happen to have a gun in my pants at the time I need to go, (just caught that, doesn't sound good) I still go in.

Maybe it doesn't sound good because you just confessed to a crime?

Regarding the original post, who cares? You are driving on a public way.

 

[Darksideblues42]

The

Maybe it doesn't sound good because you just confessed to a crime?

Regarding the original post, who cares? You are driving on a public way.

Not when the public way brings you through the parking lot and service road for a High School.

 

[ILikeGlocks]

A friend of mine was in that situation on his way home from the range. The police wanted him to take a detour through a school campus. He informed the officer that he had just been at the range and was prohibited from being on the campus with firearms. Officer told him it was 'ok' because he told him it was 'ok'. Friend refused, which pissed off the cops & then had to back his way out of the line of vehicles (guess the officer knew he was right).

 

[DitchDigger]

If ur worried about that scenario,,, bang a U’ey

 

[Reptile]

Related question...

What if you had the gun in a locked case in the trunk and when in to vote at the school if it was your polling place?

Or, if you had it in the trunk again but went into the school to watch a basketball game?

I am 99% certain those 2 things are against the law.

I hear dads have to pick up and drop kids off away from the school property if they are CCW.

I need a refresher of Lens class.

 

[greencobra]

Maybe it doesn't sound good because you just confessed to a crime?

only a crime if you're caught. break out the security tapes boys!

someone here told me once "too old to care, too old to change."

 

[Darksideblues42]

If ur worried about that scenario,,, bang a U’ey

U-turns were verboten.

 

[Asaltweapon]

I enter the PO and don’t care. I’m not committing a crime, just getting the mail or conducting business.
They got no money anyway. The rule was written against their own.... you know. Going Postal didn’t come out of thin air.

 

[Picton]

IANAL, but it wouldn’t take much of an attorney to point out that you had no intention of going anywhere near the school and were forced there.

Since this is hypothetical, what were you, while knowingly “carrying on school property,” doing behind the wheel that was egregious enough to make a bored detail cop pull you over and jam you up? His concern is keeping traffic moving through an accident zone. Why would he decide to clog everyone up by conducting a sting on your legal firearm he knows nothing about?

I’m not quibbling. I think massprudence is fine, but I’m not sure this hypothetical holds much water.

 

[Darksideblues42]

IANAL, but it wouldn’t take much of an attorney to point out that you had no intention of going anywhere near the school and were forced there.

Since this is hypothetical, what were you, while knowingly “carrying on school property,” doing behind the wheel that was egregious enough to make a bored detail cop pull you over and jam you up? His concern is keeping traffic moving through an accident zone. Why would he decide to clog everyone up by conducting a sting on your legal firearm he knows nothing about?

I’m not quibbling. I think massprudence is fine, but I’m not sure this hypothetical holds much water.

It is just a curious question as to which law overrules which law.

Carrying on school grounds because you were following the commands of a police officer seems like a bit of a Gordian Knot. How do you comply with the lawful instructions of the officer, while not complying with the laws in MA regarding firearms on school grounds?

 

[swatgig]

IANAL, but it wouldn’t take much of an attorney to point out that you had no intention of going anywhere near the school and were forced there.

Doesn't help if you get a jury full of antis

 

[drgrant]

just drive and stop worrying about it, lol. Your odds of winning powerball are better.

 

[Picton]

just drive and stop worrying about it, lol. Your odds of winning powerball are better.

This.

The odds against this are astronomical. Again, I get massprudence. But when there’s no good answer, common sense is all you got.

 

[Jason Flare]

IANAL, but it wouldn’t take much of an attorney to point out that you had no intention of going anywhere near the school and were forced there.

Since this is hypothetical, what were you, while knowingly “carrying on school property,” doing behind the wheel that was egregious enough to make a bored detail cop pull you over and jam you up? His concern is keeping traffic moving through an accident zone. Why would he decide to clog everyone up by conducting a sting on your legal firearm he knows nothing about?

I’m not quibbling. I think massprudence is fine, but I’m not sure this hypothetical holds much water.

I would do it as Jason Flare, but I wouldn’t do it if I was Codey Wilson.

 

[namedpipes]

i'm a bad gun owner. I go to the post office. if I happen to have a gun in my pants at the time I need to go, (just caught that, doesn't sound good) I still go in. I've been to city hall and the police station once or twice. maybe i'm stupid but I don't give it another thought when i'm out and about. if they put a metal detector at the entrances i'll be more cognizant.

recently, the main route I take had a detour up the driveway of a grammar school and down and out the other side to avoid a construction site. you know, never even gave it a thought until now. did that for 3 days too. that school is my polling place, I do not carry to vote.

It is not illegal to carry at the Town offices, police station, registry, etc.

Schools and federal buildings like post offices, yes. Illegal.

A public street that traverses a campus is, I believe, fine. Certainly driving past a school is fine.

 

[Darksideblues42]

It is not illegal to carry at the Town offices, police station, registry, etc.

Schools and federal buildings like post offices, yes. Illegal.

A public street that traverses a campus is, I believe, fine. Certainly driving past a school is fine.

This isn't a public road. It is literally the driveway onto the school grounds and the parking lot of the school. It just happens to go between two main roads.

 

[Radtekk]

If i had a dollar for every time I (hypothetically) picked up or dropped off a child at school while carrying, or (hypothetically) went in to drop something off and locked my firearm in a safe in the car, I could (hypothetically) retire.

 

[namedpipes]

This isn't a public road. It is literally the driveway onto the school grounds and the parking lot of the school. It just happens to go between two main roads.

U turn

 

[MagGus1820]

My rule is, if there's a metal detector, I can't carry, some of you day ladies really need to get over the pearl clutching.

 

[kalash]

Len can tell you more, but I think that you are ok on the PO property but not inside. Jack.

Post office parking lot is also off-limits, even if the gun is locked up in your car.

I still go in. I've been to city hall and the police station once or twice.

Both perfectly legal. I once called my local PD to see if I could carry to my citizens academy classes. The woman in the phone basically said "yeah, I don't see why not... have at it" and then proceeded to tell me how shess applying for an LTC.

What if you had the gun in a locked case in the trunk and when in to vote at the school if it was your polling place?

Or, if you had it in the trunk again but went into the school to watch a basketball game?

I am 99% certain those 2 things are against the law.

Legal as long as the gun was locked up before you entered school grounds, i.e. you didn't handle it at all on school property. However, massprudence...

I enter the PO and don’t care. I’m not committing a crime, just getting the mail or conducting business.

Actually you ARE committing a crime. That said, you're not alone in doing so...

just drive and stop worrying about it, lol. Your odds of winning powerball are better.

This. Has anyone here ever been pulled over, taken out of their car, and searched?

 

[amm5061]

Post office parking lot is also off-limits, even if the gun is locked up in your car.



Both perfectly legal. I once called my local PD to see if I could carry to my citizens academy classes. The woman in the phone basically said "yeah, I don't see why not... have at it" and then proceeded to tell me how shess applying for an LTC.



Legal as long as the gun was locked up before you entered school grounds, i.e. you didn't handle it at all on school property. However, massprudence...



Actually you ARE committing a crime. That said, you're not alone in doing so...



This. Has anyone here ever been pulled over, taken out of their car, and searched?

^ Basically all of that. Post Office, including parking lot, is verboten Federally.

Don't drive like a dick through the detour and you're fine.

 

[PaulR]

I'm no where near a Len but: I've looked into this a bit as I have 3 little kids. I'm pretty sure if you read the fine print in the MA laws it says you can carry on school grounds with permission from the Chief. I've often thought of asking permission from him, but never broached the subject. So anyways, if a cop (agent for Chief) tells you it's ok, in that circumstance given of the range trip above, I would be fine with it and drive my arsenal through campus.
That's just my .02.

 

[milktree]

If you're instructed by a police officer to do something, you do it. If the police officer instructs you to drive the wrong way down a one way street, you do it. If a police officer instructs you to stop in a "no stopping" zone, you stop.

This isn't any different. If you were told by a police officer to drive through a school parking lot, you do it. "I was told to do it by a lawful order of a police officer" seems like a pretty good affirmative defense.

 

[Mesatchornug]

I'm no where near a Len but: I've looked into this a bit as I have 3 little kids. I'm pretty sure if you read the fine print in the MA laws it says you can carry on school grounds with permission from the Chief. I've often thought of asking permission from him, but never broached the subject. So anyways, if a cop (agent for Chief) tells you it's ok, in that circumstance given of the range trip above, I would be fine with it and drive my arsenal through campus.
That's just my .02.

No.

You can possess with written permission from the head of the school. Not the chief of police in the town.

On the detour question, I would just continue to follow the detour and take the risk. I think there's a term for when the police make you break a law that you otherwise wouldn't have; I know it's often misunderstood, but here it might apply.

 

[amm5061]

I think there's a term for when the police make you break a law that you otherwise wouldn't have; I know it's often misunderstood, but here it might apply.

Entrapment by estoppel?

 

[Dennis in MA]

If ur worried about that scenario,,, bang a U’ey

Don't be hurting Baby Huey!