Man files lawsuit after being turned away from Bradford County Fair for openly carrying a firearm

STARKE, Fla. (WCJB) — A lawsuit has been filed over a policy banning open carry of firearms at the Bradford County Fairgrounds, with a man claiming the restriction is illegal because the property is publicly owned.

The complaint was filed on Monday by Christopher Rose, who said he was attending the fair with his daughter when he noticed signs at the entrance stating “Open Carry Prohibited.” Rose said he asked people at the fair whether the grounds were public or private property, but received different answers.

When he returned the next day and asked fair staff and law enforcement about the policy, Rose said he was told he could not enter while openly carrying a firearm. A deputy told him he would not be arrested for open carry but could face trespassing charges if he refused to leave.

“When public property is either rented out, subbed out or leased out or contracted out to a private entity and then that private entity enforces more rules than the government who own the property could have — I don’t believe that’s reasonable, I don’t think that’s moral and I’m not really sure that’s legal but this has remained largely unchallenged,” Rose said.

The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring the open carry ban invalid and clarifying whether firearm restrictions can be enforced at events held on public property.

Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith said when event organizers rent a facility, law enforcement typically enforces trespass rules if someone refuses to follow event policies.

“If a concert goes on and the group organizers say we don’t want guns, that’s their policy... if you tell them not to be there, we just tell them they’re trespassing and they got to leave and if someone feels that that’s wrong well they have a way to question that decision then mediate by usually seeking an attorney,” Smith said.

Bradford County officials said they cannot comment on active litigation. The Bradford County Fair Association did not respond to a request for comment.

Rose said his goal with the lawsuit is to hold county leaders accountable to ensure the situation does not happen again.

Attorney Anthony Sabatini, a member of the Lake County Commission and a former Republican state representative, will be representing Rose in the case. Sabatini graduated from the University of Florida.

The state law banning the open carrying of firearms in public was struck down by the First District Court of Appeal in 2025. The court determined the law was an unconstitutional violation of the Second Amendment right to bear arms. State leaders declined to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court.

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