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Former Mt. Laurell resident gets prison sentenced commuted
BY BOB HOLT
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Gun rights advocates like the National Rifle Association (NRA) and a former Mt. Laurel resident received an early Christmas gift when Brian Aitken's prison sentence for illegal handgun possession was commuted by Governor Christie.
Aitken, 27, had been serving a seven-year prison sentence after being found with guns he'd purchased legally in Colorado. It was Christie's first commutation since taking office almost a year ago.
The conviction, according to the Burlington County Times, arose from a January 2009 incident in which police responded to Aitken's parents' home in Mount Laurel for an abandoned 911 call.
Fox News reports that on Jan. 2, 2009, Aitken, an entrepreneur and media consultant with no prior criminal record, muttered to his mother that life wasn't worth living after a planned visit with her son was abruptly canceled at the last minute.
Police said Aitken's mother later told responding officers she was concerned her son might harm himself, possibly with a firearm.
Officers later searched Aitken's vehicle and found three handguns as well as 39 hollow-point bullets in the trunk, police said. The ammunition is illegal to possess in New Jersey.
Aitken had purchased the guns legally in Colorado, and he passed an FBI background check when he bought them, according to his father, Larry Aitken. Brian also contacted New Jersey State Police before moving back back to the Garden State to discuss how to properly transport his weapons.
So Aitken faced felony charges the same as if he had used the guns to commit a crime. Supporters of Aitken even began a Facebook campaign to get his sentence commuted.
Aitken's relatives and his lawyer, Evan Nappen, believe he had a legal exemption to have the handguns in his car because they say he was in the process of moving from his parents' home in Mount Laurel to Hoboken when the guns were found.
However, state Superior Court Judge James Morley did not allow the argument in trial this year. Aitken, a graduate student with no prior record, was convicted and then sent off to prison in August.
The Daily Record reports Christie later declined to reappoint Morley because of an unrelated case.
"The governor has reviewed all the facts of Brian Aitken's case and has commuted his sentence to time served," Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said. "Considering both Aitken's offense and punishment, the governor believes this is the most compassionate and just solution."
Nappen said they will continue to pursue appeals based on the legal elements of the case. He said Christie "is a hero to gun owners across the nation."
Aitken had appealed to Christie for commutation after being sentenced in August. He could have been paroled in three years.
According to NJ.com, Aitken is being held at the Mid-State Correctional Facility Annex in Wrightstown, located on Fort Dix. He's expected to be released today, said corrections spokeswoman Deirdre Fedkenheuer.
BTW Freedom, feel free to stay in PA. We'll somehow get along without you.
Also, Aitken says he has documentation that the judge in his case "strong armed" the jurors in to a guilty verdict.
I personally live in one of the "backward" states that allow a few personal freedoms which are spelled out in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
I think the government is dancing here. He looks great for commuting the sentence, but Aitken needs to a pardon not just have the sentence commuted.
Just being commuted, Aitken still has a felony on his record.
You can see the fear of the population of their own police. You will see FOP supporter on very fifth car. It is a silent plea that says “oh please officer I support the police please don’t pull me over”. The people of New Jersey have long given up liberty for security and now fear their own justice system.
What part of the second amendment are the having trouble with.It looks to be very simple to me.
You are an idiot and need to get your facts straight before publishing another article.
Seems to me that this judge;s actions should hold accountability. He should be sued for with-holding information that would have cleared this man's name from wrong-doing.
Also love the title of this article, makes this guy seem like a real gun-toting criminal. Nice job newjerseynewsroom.com. It is the media like you that help portray the image that all legal gun owners are bad.
If this guy was illegal he never would have went to prison and the police officer that arrested him would have been suspended for violating his civil rights.
I would also like to point out that it is not just "gun rigts advocates" who are happy about the Governor's decision. Anyone with a shred of objectivity recognizes that this guy was railroaded, not given a fair trial, and certainly did not deserve the sentence he received, even if he was in technical violation of the law. Every law abiding citizen has an interest in making sure our judicial system works efficiently and fairly and that our laws comport with the Consitution and serve some public interest. The gun laws in this state are neither Constitutional nor sensible, and it is time that all citizens demand change.