Lawmaker Pleads No Contest To Airport Gun Charges
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A state lawmaker has been fined more than $2,200 for carrying a loaded handgun in his briefcase as he tried to board a flight to Sacramento earlier this year.
Assemblyman Tim Donnelly pleaded no contest on Monday to two misdemeanor charges: illegally carrying a loaded firearm and possessing a prohibited item in a secure area of Ontario International Airport.
Christopher Lee, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County District Attorney's office, says Donnelly was immediately placed on informal probation for three years.
His Colt .45 will be destroyed.
Donnelly, a Republican who has spoken in favor of gun-owners' rights, has said he unintentionally had the weapon in his briefcase as he traveled to the state Capitol.
His attorney, Rod Pacheco, calls the plea "a fair resolution."
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
