Settlement reached in lawsuit filed over Meck County handgun permit waits

CHARLOTTE — A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed over the processing time for Mecklenburg County handgun permits.

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement on Thursday.

The lawsuit was filed on Nov. 28, 2022. The seven plaintiffs alleged a provision in the concealed handgun permit law was unconstitutional and violated both the Second and 14th amendments.

One of the plaintiffs was Gun Owners of America, Inc., which was, “formed in 1976 to preserve and defend the Second Amendment rights of gun owners.” According to the lawsuit, many of the organization’s members applied for concealed handgun permits but were denied or hadn’t gotten them in a timely fashion.

Another plaintiff was a Mecklenburg County resident who said it took more than three months for her to be fingerprinted after submitting her concealed handgun permit. At the time the lawsuit was filed, she said she had waited more than a year for her permit to be issued.

Two of the plaintiffs, also residents of Mecklenburg County, said they had concealed handgun permits. According to the lawsuit, both tried to renew them before they expired, but they still hadn’t been granted.

The plaintiffs wanted to challenge the permit law’s mental health provisions. They alleged Mecklenburg County sheriff Garry McFadden was using the provision to drag out the application process, denying applicants their constitutional rights.

On Thursday, the sheriff’s office said it had reached a settlement. It said it agreed to the following:

• MCSO will pay $5,000 toward the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees.
• MCSO won’t pay damages to the plaintiffs.
• MCSO will ask each applicant whether they have sought mental health treatment, require the applicant to list the provider, and issue or deny the permit within 45 days of review of any relevant records.

(WATCH BELOW: Changes made to concealed handgun permit process in Mecklenburg County)

Changes made to concealed handgun permit process in Mecklenburg County

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