Short Hills Carjackers – A “Justifiable Need” to Carry? [POLL]

When the news had broken in the brazen carjacking at the Short Hills Mall just prior to Christmas leaving a Hoboken lawyer dead; the question came up as to whether or not the carjacking could have been prevented if the owner of the Range Rover, which had been the carjackers target, had been carrying a weapon.

So I asked, and was told my many of the nocturnal members of the “Rossi Posse” that it’s virtually impossible to obtain a “carry permit” here in New Jersey without first establishing what’s called a "justifiable need" to carry.

And the justifiable need is something that only a judge can decree – which again, is virtually impossible.

So, indulge me for a second.

If you live adjacent to a high crime area and decide to buy a rather expensive automobile with the ever present possibility that your car could be carjacked and might just lose your life – wouldn’t you have a “justifiable need” to carry a concealed weapon in order to protect yourself.

No judge in New Jersey would ever grand you a carry permit under those circumstances.

Even though you know the likelihood of being robbed and possibly killed is pretty high.

According to this:

A man was carjacked of his new Porsche after assailants punched him in his townhouse parking lot on the 800 block of Morris Turnpike about 9 p.m. tonight, police said.

The man was not seriously hurt and detectives were speaking with him to get a detailed description of his assailants, Lt. Ron Lipp said.

Township police have broadcast a description of the black Porsche Cayenne, asking law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the car. The mid-sized crossover SUV bears the customary temporary tags given to new cars, he said.

“They snuck up on him and punched him in the back of the head,” Lipp said.

The incident happened nearly a month after the shooting death of a Hoboken attorney in a parking lot at the Mall at Short Hills during the carjacking of his Range Rover.

Authorities arrested four men on Dec. 21, six days after that incident. The four, Karif Ford, 31, Basim Henry, 32, and Kevin Roberts, 35 all of Newark; and Hanif Thompson, 29, of Irvington, were charged in Dustin Friedland's death.

Prosecutors have not said who fired the fatal shot. All have four pleaded not guilty.

Again, I realize it’s a fantasy to think that a judge is going to grant anyone who owns a high-end car in an area prone to car jackings a “carry permit” based on justifiable need.

But we can dream – can’t we?