In a major victory for common-sense in Illinois gun laws, Winnebago County States Attorney Joe Bruscato has dismissed a felony charge lodged against prominent firearms rights advocate – founder of ICarry.org  Shaun Kranish.  Kranish was arrested in May of 2006 for carrying an unloaded pistol in a container/case in accordance with Illinois state law.  However, former states attorney Paul A. Logli went ahead with prosecution.

Despite no allegations of wrongdoing, Kranish had to mount a defense against the felony charge for over four years.  The Honorable Judge Steven Vecchio courageously dismissed the charge in 2007 based on the fact Shaun had followed the law – unloaded, in a container, with a valid Firearms Owner Identification (FOID) card. 

The dismissal was appealed by the state, reversed on a legal procedural technicality, and sent back to Rockford for trial in mid August 2010.  Represented by attorney Walter Maksym of Chicago – who is also representing ICarry.org and Second Amendment Arms in a lawsuit challenging Chicago’s new post-McDonald gun ban scheme – Kranish and countless firearms owners then asked Joe Bruscato to dismiss the charge brought against Shaun by his predecessor.

Mr. Kranish’s related Second Amendment civil rights case filed by Mr. Maksym in 2008 against the Village of Cherry Valley, six of its police officers, and two CherryVale Mall security guards that was upheld by U.S. District Court Judge Frederick J. Kapala (Rockford), has been recently settled on confidential, mutually satisfactory terms.

Kranish and his attorney applaud Mr. Bruscato for his responsible and sensible action taken in the interests of justice by dismissing the charge rather than bowing to the political pressure that has kept Illinois the last and only state in the country to completely prohibit its citizens from carrying a loaded pistol for self-defense – a constitutionally-protected right the US Supreme Court has described as “fundamental.”

For more information, visit www.ICarry.org