Gov. Chris Christie Pardons Single Mother in Controversial Gun Case

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Thursday pardoned Shaneen Allen, a single mother arrested last year for bringing her legal handgun into New Jersey from her home state of Pennsylvania. She initially faced a felony charge and years in prison, but was later permitted to enter a pretrial intervention program.

Photo courtesy of Gov. Chris Christie's office

Allen said she believed her Pennsylvania concealed carry permit allowed her to bring her .38-caliber handgun into New Jersey. However, she became a felony suspect as soon as she crossed the state line. She alerted officers in Atlantic County that she was carrying the gun when she was pulled over, which ultimately lead to her arrest.

But Christie’s pardon, signed at around noon on Thursday, allows the mother to put the nightmare behind her.

"I, Chris Christie, governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority conferred upon me by the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and the statutes of the state, do hereby grant Shaneen Denise Allen, a full a free pardon for all criminal charges and indictments arising from the arrest occurring October 1, 2013 to include the aforesaid crimes, and this order is applicable solely to said criminal charges and indictments, and to no other," the pardon reads.

Photo courtesy of Gov. Chris Christie's office

Another legal gun owner in New Jersey, Steffon Josey-Davis, recently told TheBlaze he is also seeking a pardon from Christie after he was charged with a felony for carrying his legally owned handgun in his glovebox.

Under New Jersey’s restrictive gun laws, a gun “shall be carried unloaded and contained in a closed and fastened case, gunbox, securely tied package, or locked in the trunk of the automobile in which it is being transported, and in the course of travel, shall include only such deviations as are reasonably necessary under the circumstances.”

Davis, an aspiring cop, said he put his gun in his glovebox when his 6-year-old little sister came into the garage while he was checking the gun before a trip to the gun range. He said he forgot that he stored the gun in the glovebox and only realized his mistake when he was pulled over.

He is seeking a pardon from Christie as he argues the state's gun laws have turned him into a felon and needlessly crushed his dream of becoming a police officer.

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