EDITORIAL: New Jersey’s lousy gun laws strike again

One of the great freedoms we enjoy in this country is the freedom of movement. We are free to travel across state lines without having to show papers or explain ourselves. We also enjoy the freedom to bear arms, which allows us to hunt or to protect ourselves and our families. And while millions of Americans enjoy both of these freedoms, attempting to exercise both of them at the same can prove to be less than enjoyable.

Consider the case of Pennsylvania corrections officer Raymond Hughes.

As reported by The Associated Press, Mr. Hughes and his wife were driving home from a concert in New Jersey last month when they were involved in a car accident. When police arrived, Mr. Hughes told them that he had a handgun under his seat, which officers secured while Mr. Hughes went to the hospital. Mr. Hughes thought he was doing the right thing, but days later, police charged him for not having a New Jersey carry permit, despite having one in Pennsylvania.

"I'm one of the good guys," Mr. Hughes told the AP. "Now they're trying to make me one of the people I protect society from."

According to his attorney, Mr. Hughes could face up to 3½ years in prison for this incident, which only came to light because he was involved in a minor auto accident (in which he says he was the victim) and rightly informed police he had a handgun under the seat, for which he was licensed. But because of New Jersey's gun laws, some of the strictest and clearly worst in the land, he's got little room for forgiveness here, and he's under suspension from his job as a Pennsylvania corrections officer.

Mr. Hughes' case harkens back to the well-known case of Philadelphia phlebotomist Shaneen Allen, who, after being stopped in New Jersey by police for an alleged illegal lane change in October of 2013, voluntarily told the officer that she had a loaded gun in her car. Since the gun was legally registered in Pennsylvania — but not in New Jersey — Allen faced up to five years in prison, per a 2008 state directive that called for mandatory minimum sentences for firearms offenses. After a prolonged legal battle, including spending 40 days in jail before posting bail, Allen was pardoned by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in April.

The idea that someone can lawfully do something in one state, such as carry a licensed weapon, but then face years in prison by crossing an imaginary line is ridiculous. States need to have much better reciprocity on legal gun possession, especially for people who are traveling.

Mr. Hughes may qualify for pretrial intervention, but it could still cost him his job. New Jersey officials should drop these charges post haste, and state lawmakers — along with those in many other states — need to dial back inane restrictions and enact more reasonable gun legislation.