By Dan Roberts
New Jersey – -(Ammoland.com)- Late on Friday afternoon September 12th 2014, news broke that Atlantic County Prosecutor John McClain requested a delay in the start of jury selection and trial of Shaneen Allen.
Shaneen Allen, is the Single Mother from Philadelphia who naively committed a non-violent, statutory violation of NJ’s tyrannical firearms laws when she mistakenly assumed that her Pennsylvania issue License to Carry Firearms was recognized in NJ, just like her drivers license.
The request for the delay stated that Mr McClain was requesting the postponement so he could “re-evaluate the proper disposition of her case”.
There can be no reasonable doubt that, after the release earlier in the week of the “inside the elevator “ footage of former NFL Star Ray Rice brutally knocking his now wife out with a single, vicious left cross, continuing to persecute Ms Allen for a non violent, statutory violation, absent any criminal intent, became politically untenable.
As recently as two weeks ago, Prosecutor McClain, or his spokespeople in the Atlantic County Prosecutor Office (ACPO) were intransigently insisting that Ray Rice’s case was handled properly, while at the same time relentlessly pursuing Ms Allen for her “offense“. Including a minimum, mandatory sentence of three and a half years in State Prison to, in their words, to “discourage others”.
While it is purely speculative on my part, anyone familiar with the game of politics, especially politics in the Garden State will recognize that it is a virtual certainty that someone in Gov Christie’s Office was burning up the phone lines between Trenton and the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office. Demanding that McClain rethink his position in light of the enormous, nationwide public backlash that the disparity of treatment in the two cases had generated.
“What were you thinking?!” was almost certainly demanded at, shall we say , high volume.
Other previously unreleased details came to light last week that served to only further ratchet up the pressure on McClain.
That McClain had in his possession and had viewed the “inside the elevator” footage, months before the public ever knew of its existence. That the footage was withheld from the evaluators in the Pre Trial Intervention Unit that are tasked with recommending or denying entry into the program and that a review of NJ Court records showed that less than ONE percent of Domestic Violence Offenders are admitted to the program.
Despite all those facts, McClain approved Rice’s entry into the program.
While the best possible outcome for Shaneen Allen would be for the Prosecutors Office to announce that they are dropping all charges, that seems unrealistic, even though its EXACTLY the right thing to do. Ms Allen has already paid an extremely high price for her so called “crime“. She has lost one of her two jobs, been locked up for 43 days, endured almost a year of unimaginable stress, sleepless nights, and worry about her and her children’s future. Any sane person would agree that she has most certainly “learned her lesson” and suffered significant punishment for an administrative violation absent any criminal intent or victim.
But having the charges dismissed is sadly, unlikely, because in the”game” of politics, McClain is now “in to deep” to take such action. After months of adamant insistence that the persecution of Ms Allen would move forward, morality or justice be damned, McClain, and by proxy the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office are to publicly invested in extracting their pound of flesh from Ms Allen.
The best Ms Allen and her myriad of supporters from every corner and political spectrum across the Country can hope for is that McClain offers her admittance into the same Pre Trial Intervention program that Rice was admitted to. That would allow McClain to salvage at least a shred of his alleged credibility, while removing the ominous threat of incarceration from Ms Allen.
Even if that is the result, her ordeal will hardly be over. She will still almost certainly have to fight with Pennsylvania Officials, especially those in Philadelphia, to eventually have her License to Carry and Second Amendment Rights restored after completing PTI, which will incur even more stress and financial pressure on her.
She will in effect, become a kindred spirit with Brian Aitken, the former NJ resident who was railroaded by an Anti Gun ideological judge who refused to instruct the jury to the legal exemptions that applied to Mr Aitken, resulting in a seven year sentence that Gov Christie eventually commuted. Years after his ordeal, having wisely fled the overbearing State of NJ, Aitken is still legally considered a felon, unable to vote, unable to defend his family or exercise his Rights.
Recall/Remove Atlantic County Prosecutor John McClain
As for Prosecutor McClain? His actions in both the Ray Rice, as well as the Shaneen Allen cases show beyond any doubt that he is totally unfit for the office he holds. In his worldview, beating your wife unconscious in public is perfectly excusable if your wealthy and famous. While merely exercising one’s rights and seeking to protect one’s self (after being robbed twice) while being a threat to no one, is such an egregious offense against society at large that it is worthy of a lengthy prison term. Especially if you are merely one of the “little people”.
In the Aitkens Case, Gov Christie refused to reappoint the Judge to the bench in the aftermath of the trial.
Regretfully, that is not an option currently for dealing with McClain, who was only recently confirmed to the Office of the Prosecutor earlier this year. Accordingly, there are only two remedies available to the People the Government serves, and to send an even more powerful message of deterrence to those that abuse their loaned power in furtherance of their own personal beliefs or for personal or political gain.
The People can and should mount a campaign to have Prosecutor McClain recalled from office by the Legislature or, alternatively, make his continued occupation of his position so politically uncomfortable that he is forced to tender his resignation.
After all, its about “deterring future acts”
About Dan RobertsDan Roberts is a grassroots supporter of gun rights that has chosen AmmoLand Shooting Sports News as the perfect outlet for his frank, ‘Jersey Attitude’ filled articles on Guns and Gun Owner Rights.As a resident of the oppressive state of New Jersey he is well placed to be able to discuss the abuses of government against our inalienable rights to keep and bear arms as he writes from deep behind NJ’s Anti-Gun iron curtain. Read more from Dan Roberts or email him at DRoberts@ammoland.com You can also find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dan.roberts.18