Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Opposing Gun Ban At CT State Parks: Reports

CHESHIRE, CT — A federal judge has dismissed a Cheshire lawyer's case that challenged the ban on guns in Connecticut parks, according to multiple outlets.

The plaintiff, David Nastri, told the judge earlier this year that for decades he carried a concealed handgun at parks and forests in the state for the sake of self defense, and did not know until recently that it was not allowed, the CTPost reported.

According to News12, Nastri said he wants to continue to carry his gun to protect himself after an increase in crime along the Farmington River Canal Trail. Both outlets reported that Nastri declared the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's ban on doing so a constitutional rights violation.

But U.S. District Judge Janet Aterton ruled that Nastri's lawsuit did not prove he was under "imminent" threat of enforcement from the ban, noting that Nastri had never been searched for firearms while at a park or forest, according to the CTPost.

According to a report filed by Janet Kaminski Leduc, Chief Attorney, a person may legally possess a handgun in a Connecticut state park or forest only when carrying it for hunting small game (e.g., rabbits, squirrels) or participating in other authorized activities, such as at a firearms range or during a hunter education class.

The Cheshire Herald reported that in addition to being a lawyer, Nastri is a financial advisor, an attorney, an active hiker, and a veteran. He told the outlet in June that as a veteran, he wants to follow the law when he carries his gun for self-defense at the park.

“When you enlist in the military, you take an oath to protect and defend, not the United States itself, but the Constitution of the United States," Nastri told The Cheshire Herald. "It’s much the same thing when you’re sworn into the bar, and I take both those oaths very seriously," he said. “I think it’s my duty to challenge this [statute] because I don’t think it meets Constitutional standards."

Records show that Nastri intends to appeal the decision, according to the CTPost.