Posted on

04.25.08 JUDGE TURNS OVER NAMES OF CHL HOLDERS TO ANTI-GUN NEWSPAPER.

MEDFORD NEWSPAPER GETS CHL LIST

The Medford Mail Tribune, a newspaper which has repeatedly editorialized against self defense for public employees, has won a court case to get the names, addresses and occupations of all concealed handgun license holders in Jackson County.

The newspaper demanded this information as part of series of articles attacking Medford teacher Shirley Katz.  Katz, you will remember, sued to be allowed to carry her handgun to work in a Medford school (The Oregon Firearms Educational Foundation is paying Ms. Katz’s legal bills. Her case is currently being appealed.)

Judge Philip Arnold, the same judge who ruled that public employees are not protected by Oregon’s preemption statute, ruled that Bob Hunter, the Tribune’s Editor, has a right to the personal information of CHL holders. The county sheriff, Mike Winters, had refused to turn over the information, citing privacy and safety concerns.

Hunter stated in an article on October 16,2007 “This is information bought and paid for by the public, and the public has a right to it.”

This is, of course, nonsense. Licence holders pay high fees in order to have their backgrounds checked, their pictures taken and their fingerprints placed on file like criminals. The public, (and Bob Hunter) doesn’t ute a dime.

Hunter and his staff have claimed that they don’t plan to release any names. We wonder then, why he wants them.

If the Medford Mail Tribune does publish the personal information of CHL holders, we will assume that they won’t mind if we publish the home addresses and other information about their staff.

You can contact Hunter by e-mail here bhunter@mailtribune.com or by regular mail and phone here:
Mail Tribune
P.O. Box 1108
111 N. Fir St.
Medford, OR 97501
541-776-4411