A state appeals court today upheld a denial of a handgun permit for a private detective in Warren County because he “lied” about whether he previously had such a permit rejected, according to the ruling.
Scott Churchill, former treasurer of the county’s SPCA and former trustee at the county’s community college, had a permit to carry a handgun since 1994, but in July 2008 was denied a renewal by New Jersey State Police, according to the Appellate Division decision.
One of the questions on the renewal application asked whether he had any prior gun-permit applications denied, and Churchill answered “No.”
But that was “inaccurate,” as Churchill “failed to disclose that New York had previously denied his application for a gun permit because he had lied about his business and obtained a private-investigator license under false pretenses,” the ruling states. It also says the permit was denied by police because Churchill “failed to demonstrate a justifiable need for a handgun.”
Churchill appealed to state Superior Court, claiming he believed the application was inquiring only about being denied a permit in New Jersey. But last year an appellate judge upheld the ruling, finding “Churchill was not a person of good moral character because he ‘purposely falsified his renewal application and attempted to mislead the investigating officers and the court as to his reasons for doing so.”
Churchill then appealed further, claiming he is a person of good moral character, there was no evidence he “knowingly falsified his New Jersey application” and he has a justifiable need to carry a handgun.
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