Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

A sub-forum for the purpose of discussing ORC 9.68 compliance. This sub-forum is strictly for the discussion of progress in individual cities and their respective parks.

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This sub-forum is strictly for the purpose of submitting of, and status updates related to, ORC 9.68 compliance. This could mean park bans, open carry bans, or anything that is a compliance issue. Note the format in which original threads were created. We'll track each individual case here and post updates if assistance is needed, etc. You may start a new thread here to notify us of a non-compliant scenario. Please try to research contact information for each city, village, etc, Email, fax, and postal addresses are great. Digital photos of infractions (Signs) are ideal. With limited exceptions this is NOT a discussion forum.

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transfusionrec
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Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by transfusionrec »

The Adams County Fair grounds is enforcing a no firearms policy. I thought the County fairs in Ohio changed these rules since they are mainly funded by county money.
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by Brian D. »

Welcome. If the fairgrounds are publicly owned, they can prohibit carry* in the (non restroom or picnic shelter) buildings. But what the boards seem to like better is putting the signs up at the gates to disallow carry anywhere on the property. They aren't allowed to do that, but the law has little in the way of enforcement "teeth". First thing the fair board will do with anybody who complains is stall them until the fair is over.

You might have some luck in such a small county, talking with the county sheriff or prosecutor. Bring the applicable portions of the Ohio Revised Code along to help make your case. At least those officials can probably be tracked down in short order; good luck with fair boards and agricultural society members.

*Concealed carry, at least, can be barred. Open carry is not explicitly prohibited in most government buildings, except police stations, detention facilities, buildings that have courtrooms. etc. But no one here has tried to be the test case for that. We should do it as a group sometime, three or four hundred of us open carry in the same government building all in one bunch. As long as a few of the folks were litigating attorneys, I highly suspect nothing would be done.
Last edited by Brian D. on Wed Jul 13, 2016 9:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by SeanC »

transfusionrec wrote:The Adams County Fair grounds is enforcing a no firearms policy. I thought the County fairs in Ohio changed these rules since they are mainly funded by county money.
You can also just ignore the signs and do whatever you want. They don't carry any force of law if the fairgrounds are publicly owned, provided the premises aren't considered an "open air arena" where alcohol is being served, and provided you don't enter any buildings. There are a lot of "ifs," so do your homework.
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by Javelin Man »

SeanC wrote:
transfusionrec wrote:The Adams County Fair grounds is enforcing a no firearms policy. I thought the County fairs in Ohio changed these rules since they are mainly funded by county money.
You can also just ignore the signs and do whatever you want. They don't carry any force of law if the fairgrounds are publicly owned, provided the premises aren't considered an "open air arena" where alcohol is being served, and provided you don't enter any buildings. There are a lot of "ifs," so do your homework.
Unfortunately, they (fair boards that post) ignorantly claim that they are a private agricultural society with the board of directors which makes them a private organization. I say if they receive any state funding for anything (4-H, harness racing, etc.) than they are not private.
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by Cruiser »

Check out their audit.
http://www.auditor.state.oh.us/auditsea ... tID=118713" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by SeanC »

Javelin Man wrote:
SeanC wrote:
transfusionrec wrote:The Adams County Fair grounds is enforcing a no firearms policy. I thought the County fairs in Ohio changed these rules since they are mainly funded by county money.
You can also just ignore the signs and do whatever you want. They don't carry any force of law if the fairgrounds are publicly owned, provided the premises aren't considered an "open air arena" where alcohol is being served, and provided you don't enter any buildings. There are a lot of "ifs," so do your homework.
Unfortunately, they (fair boards that post) ignorantly claim that they are a private agricultural society with the board of directors which makes them a private organization. I say if they receive any state funding for anything (4-H, harness racing, etc.) than they are not private.
Doesn't matter what position the fairgrounds takes. What will they do? Call the cops, presumably. You will either get a cop who knows the law and decline to respond, or you'll get a cop who wrongfully arrests you for CCW, in which case you might get a 1983 suit.
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by BB62 »

Ohio's Friendliest Compliance Counselor has been notified (I also posted a link to this thread in the 9.68 compliance forum) and will no doubt drop by here in the not too distant future to regale us with tales of his derring-do!

...Either that or he will call on us to storm the castle! :twisted: 8)
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by BB62 »

Cruiser wrote:Check out their audit.
http://www.auditor.state.oh.us/auditsea ... tID=118713" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Well... let's look at ORC 117.11, as mentioned in the Auditor of State's letter, contained in the above linked Independent Auditor's Report, shall we? (all bold & underlines below are mine)

The Auditor of State's letter (page 3 of the pdf) says: "Based upon this review, we have accepted these reports in lieu of the audit required by Section 117.11, Revised Code".

And, what kind of entities is the Auditor of State required to audit? Well... according to ORC 117.11, that would be "(A) Except as otherwise provided in this division and in sections 117.112 , 117.113, and 117.114 of the Revised Code, the auditor of state shall audit each public office at least once every two fiscal years."

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/117.11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And, if one peruses the remainder of ORC 117.11 closely, you will see a continuation of that theme: the only kind of entities mentioned are PUBLIC entities. So, if the ORC requires an audit of the Agricultural Society (which puts on the County Fair), it's clearly because the Ag. Society is PUBLIC entity, also known as (a.k.a.) a "political subdivision".

And what do political subdivisions have to do? That's right: FOLLOW 9.68!

:D :D :D


p.s. - from page 4 of the pdf: "The Society sponsors the week-long Adams County Fair during July".
Yes, I do believe in open carry. An openly armed man is clear in his intentions. Concealed carriers are sneaks and skulkers and elitist, boot licking, political contribution making, running dog lackies of The Man. <wink> (thx grumpycoconut - OpenCarry.org)

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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by transfusionrec »

Holy hell! I thought I knew some stuff about gun law..... Thank you all so much. Now what though?

I've went ahead and just covered it up. I normally open carry. I know there are opinions on that topic but
I'd like to stay focused on the issue at hand because Conceal carry is the most popular form of carry and
that is what their rule actual says in the fair book. No person shall knowingly carry or possess a conceal carry
weapon. I was open carry so it should be moot you would think. But I'm a vendor there so I went ahead and
covered it up. Out of sight out of mind. But the point still remains that they are ignorantly depriving people
of their god given right.
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by MyWifeSaidYes »

transfusionrec wrote:... Now what though? ...
Now I make some calls...maybe go to the fair. :twisted:
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by BB62 »

transfusionrec wrote:Holy hell! I thought I knew some stuff about gun law..... Thank you all so much. Now what though?

I've went ahead and just covered it up. I normally open carry. I know there are opinions on that topic but I'd like to stay focused on the issue at hand because Conceal carry is the most popular form of carry and that is what their rule actual says in the fair book. No person shall knowingly carry or possess a conceal carry weapon. I was open carry so it should be moot you would think. But I'm a vendor there so I went ahead and covered it up. Out of sight out of mind. But the point still remains that they are ignorantly depriving people of their god given right.
What most probably will come out of this is that the Fair people will post the buildings, but recognize that the grounds are okay for either OC or CC.

What Ohio's gun rights orgs need to do is to get public building carry made legal. I'm sure someone will be along soon to tell us "it's on the list".
Yes, I do believe in open carry. An openly armed man is clear in his intentions. Concealed carriers are sneaks and skulkers and elitist, boot licking, political contribution making, running dog lackies of The Man. <wink> (thx grumpycoconut - OpenCarry.org)

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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by SeanC »

BB62 wrote:
transfusionrec wrote:Holy hell! I thought I knew some stuff about gun law..... Thank you all so much. Now what though?

I've went ahead and just covered it up. I normally open carry. I know there are opinions on that topic but I'd like to stay focused on the issue at hand because Conceal carry is the most popular form of carry and that is what their rule actual says in the fair book. No person shall knowingly carry or possess a conceal carry weapon. I was open carry so it should be moot you would think. But I'm a vendor there so I went ahead and covered it up. Out of sight out of mind. But the point still remains that they are ignorantly depriving people of their god given right.
What most probably will come out of this is that the Fair people will post the buildings, but recognize that the grounds are okay for either OC or CC.

What Ohio's gun rights orgs need to do is to get public building carry made legal. I'm sure someone will be along soon to tell us "it's on the list".
By "fair people" do you mean carneys? :shock:
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by JediSkipdogg »

BB62 wrote: I'm sure someone will be along soon to tell us "it's on the list".
You mean like all the bills that are getting passed now? Yes, it's on the list, but until one has a legislature willing to draft it up and propose it, gun right groups can't do much. We can propose all day long, and heavily stress it even more, but we can't force anyone to propose or move bills along. Now if you want the BB62 Highway, we can probably get that passed, they seem to have no problem naming roadways.
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by djthomas »

JediSkipdogg wrote:Yes, it's on the list, but until one has a legislature willing to draft it up and propose it...
That much was accomplished. It was promptly gutted into meaningless drivel in committee.
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Re: Adams County Fair is not allowing Conceal or open carry

Post by MyWifeSaidYes »

Sorry for the delay. I got stuck with a lot of 3rd shift work the past week and slept my days away.

I spoke with the Adams Co. Ag. Soc. president today. She was great!

Here is the story as she has it:

They had a vendor at the fair who open carried (don't know if that was our OP or not). Someone complained about his gun and the fair board called the Sheriff. The Sheriff called the County Prosecutor who told the Sheriff that the Ag. Soc. was a private organization and the signs were allowed.

The lady I spoke with does not think they have any signage up on the gates or fence.

I don't have any pictures with which to dispute that claim.

Can someone in or near the Adams county fairgrounds roam around and through the fairgrounds and take some pictures for me?
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