TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In a case stemming from an incident in a Walmart parking lot, a state appeals court Friday upheld a store employee's conviction for attempted second-degree murder but said he was legally entitled to have a gun at the business.
In addition to the attempted-murder charge, a Duval County jury found Troy Curry-Pennamon guilty of carrying a concealed firearm. But the 1st District Court of Appeal on Friday pointed to part of the state's concealed-firearm law that includes an exception for people "possessing arms at his or her home or place of business."
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As a result, it overturned the firearm conviction for Curry-Pennamon, who kept a gun in a holster in his vehicle's glove compartment.
"The Florida Supreme Court has held that the 'place of business' exception … applies not only to owners of a business, but also to its employees,'' said the appeals-court opinion, written by Judge Lori Rowe. "Further, courts have interpreted the 'place of business' exception to encompass property surrounding the business, including parking lots."