Florida Supreme Court To Consider Change To Open Carry Gun Law

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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — The state Supreme Court is deliberating on whether to allow Floridians the right to openly carry guns in public.

The high court on Wednesday heard a case that challenges the constitutionality of state's current ban on open carry.

Dale Norman, who had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, was arrested by Fort Pierce police in 2012 because his gun was visible as he walked down a sidewalk. He was convicted of a second-degree misdemeanor but appealed his conviction.

Florida hasn't allowed guns to be carried in public for decades although the Legislature considered repealing the law earlier this year.

Justices sounded skeptical about overturning the law, although they also questioned whether attorneys working for Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi had provided enough reasons to keep the law intact.

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