Grass Roots North Carolina
Post Office Box 10665, Raleigh, NC 27605
Ph: 877.282.0939        Fax: 919.573.0354             www.GRNC.org

July 15, 2020

Poyner Spruill LLC

1151 Falls Road, Suite 1000

Rocky Mount, NC 27804

Attn: Mr. Nick Ellis

Dear Mr. Ellis:

As you may recall, Grass Roots North Carolina, along with other plaintiffs, filed suit in Stafford v. Baker against your client, Sheriff Gerald Baker, over his refusal to issue North Carolina pistol purchase permits to qualified applicants, as required by G.S. §14-404(f).

Pursuant to additional litigation in Groo v. Baker, Sheriff Baker is currently under a consent order to issue such permits, and alleges that he is doing so as required by law.

So imagine my surprise as complaints continue to reach GRNC’s office from people who have applied for pistol purchase permits as early as June 3, 2020 and are still waiting for their permits to be issued. Obviously, this is well outside the fourteen days required by law. I currently have four complainants, suggesting that dozens of other applications are being delayed, and that your client is still actively violating G.S. §14-404(f).

I believe GRNC has established its willingness to pursue litigation to ensure that North Carolinians’ rights are respected. And I am sure you know that under G.S. §14-409.40(h), persons adversely impacted may bring an action for declaratory and injunctive relief and for actual damages arising from the violation.

Accordingly, please respond, by no later than July 20, 2020, with a detailed description of how your client plans to issue the above-mentioned permits and bring his office into compliance with North Carolina statutes regarding issuance of pistol purchase permits.

Respectfully,

F. Paul Valone

President, Grass Roots North Carolina

Executive Director, Rights Watch International

Cc:      Ed Green

            Jeff Dobson

            Wake County Board of Commissioners