Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course & Transporting Inside Posted Area

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Mr. Glock
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Re: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course & Transporting Inside Posted

Post by Mr. Glock »

farblue wrote:
Mr. Glock wrote: Mid-Ohio, as a large area, is not one big Class D..even if they had a Class D, which I don't think they do...this ain't NASCAR. Spectators, now that's another story....champange breakfast anyone?
Well, from what I've seen the few times I've been there for the races, it's not champagne, it's Jack Daniels and, ummm, "hemp". :(
It depends on the race, I suppose. I've done mostly private events there in the last number of years, so I stand corrected on serving there. The vintage races used to be a little more upscale, breakfast was always nice.
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Quijibo
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Re: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course & Transporting Inside Posted

Post by Quijibo »

I used to go to mid-ohio every year for the vintage days..... used to. :(
Right now I'm building a little Shovelhead chop and would love to nose around the swap meet, but it ain't happening. I'll have to browse the more 2A friendly meets.

Seems every day I grow less tolerant of folks asking me to disarm before giving them my hard-earned money.
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centermass
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Re: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course & Transporting Inside Posted

Post by centermass »

I did a quick search and this is what I got. So I'll just ask.

Does anyone know if Norwalk raceway is posted?. Thanks.
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Werz
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Re: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course & Transporting Inside Posted

Post by Werz »

Tourist wrote:cashman966,

Well I guess this is just one of those areas where we are both guessing and my guess does not match yours. :lol:

As I read the law it says in a room or in an open air arena. Even if the D license was issued for the parking lot, the law does not forbid concealed carry outside a building or outside an open air arena. As you say YMMV. :wink:

Of course I would not want to be a test case, nor would I recommend it to others, so I will be glad when September 30th rolls around. :)
I have been down this path before with a municipal chief prosecutor. Due to poor legislative drafting, it is quite possible that a person without a CHL cannot ever enter a privately owned D-permit open air arena while armed. If you read R.C. 2923.121(A) very closely, it can be reasonably parsed to read:
No person shall possess a firearm *** in an open air arena for which a [D permit under Chapter 4303. of the Revised Code] has been issued.
Not only does that exclude the concept of "a room," which makes no sense in terms of an open air arena, anyway, but it also excludes the requirement of present consumption of alcoholic beverages. That is not the only way to read R.C. 2923.121(A), but it is a reasonable interpretation, depending on how you parse the sentence, and it could easily be interpreted that way by a court of law.

The instance which I was debating involved an open carry event in a municipal park where the municipality possesses a D permit. Because of that interpretation, it became expedient for non-CHLs not to participate. The municipality would have preferred that nobody participate. However, that could not be prohibited because:
  • CHLs are exempted from the prohibition under R.C. 2923.121(A) as long as they are not under the influence or consuming alcohol; and
  • Governmental entities can ban firearms only in "government facilities," i.e., government buildings, but not on open land belonging to the government.
The limitations on restrictions applicable to a public park would not apply to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which is privately owned. They can ban possession of firearms anywhere on "private land or premises," and except for "land or premises primarily [used as] a parking lot or other parking facility" a violation would be Criminal Trespass for a CHL. R.C. 2923.121(C)(3)(a). For a non-CHL it can be a felony if they also have a D permit covering the premises.

And please note that Mid-Ohio has a whole lot of land that in not primarily a parking lot. However, I do agree that a CHL who leaves a firearm inside a vehicle is only liable for civil trespass.
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Re: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course & Transporting Inside Posted

Post by centermass »

The answer is no. It wasn't posted.
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