Koran-burning preacher guilty of gun charge

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Pastor Terry Jones, known as the Koran-burning preacher, has been convicted of illegally displaying his  handgun.

The incident happened on September 11, 2013 when Jones and a  friend stopped at a McDonald's in Mulberry on their way to a Koran burning in Lakeland. They were being tailed by undercover detectives who shot video of Jones in the restaurant parking lot.

In court Friday, detectives testified that the video clearly shows Jones' gun in a holster on his waist.

It is OK for a concealed weapon to be inadvertently seen in public for a short amount of time.  It's not OK for someone to intentionally show off their concealed weapon for a long time.

Jones admitted in court that he should have hidden the gun quicker, but didn't think it was violating the law because he didn't act fast enough.

"I still thought that we were OK with Florida law, that the casual viewing of a weapon in a non-threatening manner is not against the law," Jones told FOX 13.

After a two-and-a-half-hour proceeding, the judge convicted  Jones and ordered him to pay $520 in court costs. He also had to forfeit the gun he used that night.