Politicians trade claims about records of people bringing guns into Jacksonville City Hall
Has Jacksonville's handling of information about people carrying guns in city buildings violated state law?
The answer could be a problem for Mayor Donna Deegan's administration, some mayor before her or maybe no one at all.
The question has brewed a set of claims and rebuttals since City Council member Nick Howland warned Thursday that 'Jacksonville families could be on the hook for millions in legal fees, damages, and settlements' over actions of Deegan's staff.
Security changes implemented at Jacksonville City Hall in December 2007 required visitors and employees to use the main entrance, where visitors were screened for potential weapons and employees were allowed to show an ID badge.
Earlier: Jacksonville tightens City Hall access after stepped-up protests of Confederate monument
'The Deegan Administration has kept a registry of individuals who lawfully carry personal firearms into City Hall — a blatant violation of state law and likely the Constitution,' Howland tweeted on X. 'Florida is a 'no registry' state for a reason. Violating that law carries steep penalties.'
Action News Jax reported that Howland said contracted security officers at City Hall and the Yates Building, which houses county tax collector and real estate appraiser's offices, have maintained notebooks listing the names, contact information and types of guns people have carried in since July 2023, when state law changed to allow permit-less carrying of concealed weapons. Deegan also took office in July 2023.
Deegan's office emailed a reply Friday that 'the policy in question was created and written before Mayor Deegan took office.
'In light of the issue that has been raised, we are undergoing a review of all policy directives, particularly those from the previous administration that were left for us on their way out,' the response said. 'Mayor Deegan and the leadership of her administration fully support constitutionally protected rights.'
Former Mayor Lenny Curry, whom Deegan succeeded, emailed Thursday evening that if Howland's claims are correct, 'this administration's actions represent a blatant violation of the law — one that opens the door to serious legal consequences and exposes taxpayers to costly litigation.'
Since 2004, state law has allowed a fine up to $5 million if a government official or agency were to 'knowingly and willfully keep or cause to be kept any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or any list, record, or registry of the owners of those firearms.'
Security measures to check visitors for hidden weapons were added at Jacksonville City Hall in December 2007.
Violating that law is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, the statute says.
The statute includes a clause saying that, with some exceptions, a list of gun owners 'is not a law enforcement tool and can become an instrument for profiling, harassing, or abusing law-abiding citizens based on their choice to own a firearm and exercise their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.'
Curry said that during his eight years as mayor, 'I stood firm in defense of the Second Amendment. We followed the law. We respected constitutional rights. What's happening now is reckless and deeply irresponsible.'
Deegan's office said in its statement it had received and complied with a subpoena from the State Attorney's Office and declined further comment 'out of respect and in full cooperation with their review.'
However a spokesman for that agency said Friday he couldn't confirm whether a subpoena had been issued or whether there was an investigation.
If investigators find that the records have been kept about gun-carriers, prosecutors could still face challenges to establishing that a public official 'knowingly and willfully' collected the information, since it's unclear whether anyone at a policymaking level was aware the information was being gathered.
A summary box with this story was updated to state more accurately state whose gun-carrying in city buildings is alleged to have been recorded.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Are prosecutors probing list of Jacksonville City Hall's gun carriers?
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