A well-known Rochester City School District teacher was charged with a felony in New York City two months ago while she was chaperoning a school trip.
The New York City Police Department says on May 31, Diane Watkins went through the X-Ray machine to go to the Statue of Liberty and a loaded gun was found in her purse. Watkins was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, a felony punishable by 3 and 1/2 to 15 years in prison. Her bail was set at $2,500 cash and $7,500 bond. The New York City Department of Corrections has not responded to a request for information on how long she was jailed. The case is still pending.
Monroe County pistol permit records are no longer public. In New York City, gun owners have to get a permit to carry a weapon. Police said she did not have this New York City permit.
Watkins was supervising a class trip of Rochester STEM High School students. Watkins is a teacher at the school. News 8 has been unable to speak to anyone on the trip.
Watkins has not responded to Facebook and email messages, as well as a message left on her cell phone.
The teachers union had no record of any disciplinary action on Thursday. But that could change, according to a statement sent by the district to News 8:
"The District was aware that Ms. Watkins was detained during the trip to New York City, but she would not say why and we could not legally compel her to explain. District and school officials learned of the charges against her in a communication from her attorney received the week of July 7th. The District is instructing Ms. Watkins not to contact students over the summer and will assign her to the Alternate Work Location when school resumes until this matter is resolved."
Sources say it does not appear Superintendent Bolgen Vargas knew about the issue until News 8's inquiry.
On Wednesday, Watkins spoke at a rally in favor of teacher tenure. She unsuccessfully ran for City Council in 2009 and 2011. Update: Watkins tells News 8 she is an Army veteran and has had a legal state pistol permit for more than 20 years. Watkins said she did not know about the New York City requirement. She said she was not immediately available for comment on Thursday because she is hospitalized.
i am a riffle owner, i do not have a pistol permit, and i know that i cant being a pistol to NYC. you cant bring a pocket knife to the statue, what was she thinking?
seriously dumb of her. this type of person is what ruins it for the rest of us
I disagree. This is the type of person who fixes it for the rest of us. Will they really send her to prison? A school teacher? A veteran? This is a good example of how New York gun laws punish the wrong people.
Regardless, if she has a handgunl icense, the charges are without merit. All they can do, legally, is confiscate the hardware, then issue a report to her licensing agent. The licensing agent has the option to do nothing or do something. If she was jailed, with a handgun license, she has grounds to sue, big time and win.
Gary
I can understand the Lib Nazis in the city wanting to prosecute because they are huge steaming piles of dog turd, but setting bail? Seriously? Sounds like the lady had a valid NYS permit to carry. A school teacher. What type of POS judge sets bail?
She has a permit. Yeah yeah NYC has a ridiculous law not recognizing a non city permit. It's insane that the city refuses another NY permit. In any case , discretion should have been used. She wasn't committing a crime, she was escorting children on a class trip. She's a veteran. There were common sense alternatives in lieu of making an arrest. How many bad guys are cut breaks on the street for worse offenses.
Actually, it's not NYC law.It's the Penal Code, which makes the license not valid in NYC but it's also that same Penal Code which says it's not a crime, if you have a license.
Gary
It's not an illegal firearm. If you were carrying concealed with a sportsman license you could not be charged with criminal possession of a firearm. It's just a violation of an administrative rule. Yes, you could lose your permit, but that is all.
and under the SAFE Act she can lose all of her guns. Also I was reading the comments from the articles link. People are saying that right on the permit itself it says that it is not valid in NYC. If that is true then she is a real dope.
Great job. You really showed that criminal. God forbid people want to defend themselves in this hell hole, which is routinely targeted by terrorists and lunatics. Don't worry though, when you're killed by one of those people the liberals will add you to the tally to push for further infringements. They forfeit your life for a good cause.
In New York, clearly no. But some states, like WA, have a state law that specifically prohibits any local government from passing any gun laws that are more restrictive or trumps state law. In other words, a city like Seattle cannot enact any gun laws that lessen the gun rights established by state law.
Out of curiously, how many other states require a resident to obtain a CCW license in multiple jurisdictions throughout the state to be lawful when traveling within their state???? Certain jurisdictions may impose restrictions, but I'm talking about requiring a separate license. Pure unconstitutional BS
All this "she should know better" is utter BS! Especially here!
Law abiding free people who live their lives a certain way every single day , have a licence , permit whatever you want to call it, cannot fathom that simply crossing a bridge makes them a felon.
It is completely incomprehensible that a state can issue a license and yet you can be charged with a felony in the SAME state that said you can have it!
These laws are rediculous , so rediculous that normal people cant even get to the point of looking into it or even asking the question.
Complete BS!!
The proper way when someone is caught carrying out of class is to notify the licensing agency in writing about the incident. I guess sensitive areas are the reason she was jammed up.
This certainly highlights the problems with licencing with in this State as well as the inequities among licensees and I do not agree she should have been arrested ..... I will just throw this in the mix....If this trip started on school grounds and she was in possession of that firearm..... there may be other issues for her.
[background=rgb(245, 240, 221)]Statue Of Liberty[/background]
National Monument New York
Firearms in National Parks The law governing possession of firearms inside a national park changed on February 22, 2010. Visitors may possess firearms within a national park unit provided they comply with federal, state, and local laws. The role of the responsible gun owner is to know and obey the federal, state, and local laws appropriate to the park they are visiting. Please remember that federal law prohibits firearms in certain park facilities and buildings. These places are marked with signs at public entrances. For more information Please visit www.nps.gov/nero/firearms/
Guys. I'm not going down the tunnel of NYC's restrictive rules and regs.
But I want to assure you that you will go through a very thorough screening before going to see Lady Liberty and no guns, no knives of any kind what so ever, no Leatherman's, no spikes on those leather bands on your wrist - nothing like that at all is allowed.
The Lady is an American icon and would make a sweet target for some cretin who wanted to damage her 3/32" copper skin.
Whatever you have will be taken away and no, you will not get it back.
OK. Carry on.
Sometime around 2003 I was detained and questioned extensively at the Statue of Liberty for a pocket knife. What appears on the National Park Service/Statue of Liberty website, to me at least, is very misleading. If there are still prohibited items then it should be plainly posted on the website what those items are.
Why should ignorance be supported? I don't understand this logic. Owning a firearm doesn't make you a part of some brotherhood.
She's not "one of us". She's an idiot.
I'm not arguing that the law isn't stupid. That's besides the point. There are a bunch of laws that are stupid.
Army Veteran, teacher, legal pistol permit holder for 20 years...yet she's a criminal now?
Yeah. That's how it works. You commit a felony, you're a criminal now. I don't get why you guys aren't for
responsible and aware gun owners. You rally around retards with firearms that can't follow simple directions.
She's not a victim of geography. She's a victim of stupidity. And who carries a damn firearm in a purse?
If she had her purse snatched... bye bye handgun.
Ridiculous statement. The only bias lies with those who blindly defend people who can't follow directions,
simply because they own a gun legally somewhere else.
Is there any other example where a city in any state does not recognize state law over / in addition too local law ? Goes against the rules of logic. This can work out to be an interesting case. So State license is rule for MV licensing, but not firearms licensing ? A bit of a conflict, wouldn't you say ? the "it's been that way for decades" is no longer holding up with the rule of law.
If a person is caught carrying out of class at a sensitive location. You get charged with criminal possession of a weapon.
I believe a NYC premise license holder may be charged criminally for carrying out of class.
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