Man at center of landmark Florida open-carry gun ruling calls himself ‘patriot’ – Sun Sentinel

GAINESVILLE — The man at the center of a landmark court decision allowing people in Florida to openly carry guns is watching the consequences of his legal fight from inside a jail cell in Florida’s Panhandle.

Despite the appeals court’s dramatic expansion of gun rights in the Sunshine State, the defendant in the case won’t be allowed to possess a gun even once he’s released. In an exclusive interview from the Escambia County Jail — convicted months ago in an unrelated, misdemeanor domestic violence case — Stanley Victor McDaniels, 42, called himself a patriot and indicated he has no regrets.

“I am thankful that through my current persecution, I have been given another opportunity to change Florida law for the better,” McDaniels said in a video interview from the jail. He spoke with a rep