NJ Man Denied Gun Permit Due to ‘Atrocious’ Driving Record

A Middlesex County man has been denied a gun permit because of his "atrocious" driving record.

The decision by the Perth Amboy police department had been upheld by a Superior Court judge. An appellate panel of judges on Thursday denied the man's appeal.

On Feb. 3, 2015, Superior Court Judge Joseph Rea denied Rahman Keith Idlett's application saying that issuance of a carry permit "was against the interest of the public health, safety and welfare."

"Having a driving record this atrocious consistently, over a long period of time, says a lot about a person and their respect for the law and their ability to comport themselves appropriately within legal boundaries," Rea said.

The court based its decision on Idlett's driving record over a 15-year period. According to court documents, Idlett didn't "contest the particulars of his driving record or explain why the court erred in finding the extent and nature of his motor vehicle infractions disqualifying under the law."

According to the appellate decision, Idlett has had his driver's license suspended 15 times in the 15 years since he first obtained his license. In addition, the court says, he has had 16 speeding tickets. In reviewing his record, the appellate division indicated, the court also found the following motor vehicle violations:

• Two careless driving citations;
• Three citations for either obstructing the passage of other vehicles or delaying traffic;
• A ticket for failure to observe a traffic control device;
• Two accidents;
• Four citations for either unsafe or improper operation;
• Four citations for driving while his license was suspended;
• Two tickets for driving without a license;
• Two failures to appear in court;
• Two failures to pay an insurance surcharge; and
• One citation for displaying fictitious plates issued in 2014.

After he reviewed Idlett's record, Rea said the driving record was "one of the worst driving records I think I have ever seen" among people who have applied for permits to carry a firearm in the state.

The appellate court upheld Rea's decision not to issue Idlett a carry permit, stating that it's been noted elsewhere in the decision that "the statutory design is to prevent firearms from
coming into the hands of persons likely to pose a danger to the public."