Charges dismissed against "Madison Five"

Last September 18 five men were enjoying a meal in a Culver's Restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin. Enjoying it, at least, until a squad of cops showed up in response to a customer's call about five men in the restaurant with guns.

The five were seated and wearing their handguns openly in sight, as required by Wisconsin law. The caller told the police dispatcher that there was no disturbance; she was just "concerned" that something "might" happen.

When the cops showed up, they demanded identification, and two of the men refused. According to a blog on the website of Wisconsin Carry, Inc., "Wisconsin law does NOT allow officers to demand ID from individuals who have done nothing wrong. Wisconsin law also specifically does not allow officers to arrest an individual who has done nothing wrong for merely refusing to show ID."

The two who refused were arrested for obstructing justice. How's that for bullying (by police)? Two days later, those charges were rescinded. Then the P.D. mailed disorderly conduct charges to all five.

And the fight was on.

Again from the same website, "According to Attorney (Chris) Van Wagner (representing Wisconsin Carry, Inc., and its members): 'The Madison City Attorney agreed after a full review of the police investigation and 911 call that there was absolutely no disturbance created by our members and that the disorderly conduct citations were inappropriate'." Wisconsin Carry, Inc. learned on May 5 that all five disorderly conduct charges were dismissed.

If you are going to carry openly in Wisconsin, read the law carefully, especially as to being inside your vehicle. Since a motorcycle is a vehicle, I presume the operator or passenger cannot wear a firearm openly. There is an opinion from the Wisconsin Attorney General that the peace of an "anti-gunner or do-gooder" (my words) cannot be disturbed by a person who is merely wearing a gun openly, absent any disorderly manner of that person.

If you are not a Wisconsin resident, find out in advance whether a non-resident can carry openly.

What this country needs is concealed carry in every state and then uniform laws, not laws that change at the state line. Wisconsin permits open carry, but not concealed carry.

The website for Wisconsin Carry, Inc. is http://www.wisconsincarry.org/