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Orem • Philip W. Taylor may have a right to bear arms, but he didn't have a right to cause panic around University Mall, a judge ruled Monday.
Orem Justice Court Judge Reed S. Parkin found Taylor guilty of disorderly conduct, an infraction, when Taylor approached University Mall in January with a pistol holstered on his hip and carrying a semiautomatic carbine "assault" style.
"Saying one has a right to bear arms is not an absolute defense," Parkin lectured Taylor. "If we go along with the right of free speech, I cannot yell 'fire' in a plane or a crowded building to cause panic."
Parkin sentenced Taylor to a year's probation and a $500 fine. He also ordered Taylor to turn over his guns to a responsible adult as part of his probation and to get a mental-health evaluation.
While Taylor was willing to get an evaluation — he said he has had more than one in the past — he didn't like the idea of giving up his guns.
"I object to having my firearms taken away," Taylor said.
Prosecutor Robert Church said while this was Taylor's first offense, police had been called twice on Taylor before as he carried guns openly on city streets.
On Jan. 15 — a week after a gunman in Arizona gravely wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others — Taylor walked up to University Mall with the two guns.
Taylor, who represented himself in court, testified that he was carrying the guns to educate a friend who worked at a coffee shop in the mall and mall security about Utah's open-carry laws and the superiority of a carbine to a handgun.
One witness, who insisted on being identified only as "Jane Doe" in court, said she was driving on 800 East when she saw Taylor with the guns. While the holstered pistol didn't bother her, the woman said it was the FPS 90 carbine that scared her.
She called 911 and flagged down Orem police Officer Greer Haymond and told him about Taylor.
Another witness, who was identified as "John Doe" in court, said when he saw Taylor crossing 800 East, it reminded him of the way he was trained to carry his combat rifle in the Marine Corps.
Prosecutor David Church said the witnesses were allowed to testify under aliases because they feared Taylor would come after them.
Haymond, the Orem police officer, said as he approached Taylor with his own AR-15, he feared Taylor was attempting to copy the Arizona shooting.
When Taylor turned to face him, Haymond said Taylor was carrying his carbine in a "low-ready" hold, which allows the shooter to bring the gun to firing position quickly.
Haymond said Taylor's appearance so worried him that he turned off the safety on his rifle and was ready to fire at the first sign of trouble.
Taylor, he said, put his hands up and surrendered his weapons. The guns were unloaded, and legal to carry openly.
dmeyers@sltrib.comTwitter: donaldwmeyers