Schanze’s trial in 4th District Court in Orem on charges of carrying a concealed dangerous weapon and reckless driving, both misdemeanors, and three seat belt or child restraint violations, infractions, was over before it began Friday, and the jurors were dismissed without having to hear any testimony.

“You’re all free to go,” the bailiff told them. “They’ve made arrangements.”

Thanks to a new law allowing residents to carry a gun in their cars without a permit, Schanze’s gun charge was dismissed Friday. Saratoga Springs city prosecutor Lindsay Jarvis asked the judge to dismiss all of the charges, as the rest will be re-filed in Saratoga Springs’s justice court.

“We’re not saying the behavior didn’t happen,” she said.

Schanze addressed the judge after the charges were dropped, asking what would happen with the rest of the traffic violations. The charges were trumped up, he said, and Jarvis lied in court documents. As Schanze left the courtroom, he continued to mutter about his charges being the work of terrorists.

“Another day in the land of terrorism,” he said.

Despite a small victory in the dismissal of the gun charge, Schanze still seized the opportunity to yell outside the courthouse about communism and Utah citizens’ choices to vote for higher taxes and abuse against children. Those who did not vote for Schanze, who ran for governor last year — 97 percent of the state — voted for such things, he said. Because Utahns did not vote for Schanze, they deserve to lose their jobs, he claimed.

Schanze spoke little about his actual charges, except to say he was charged for something that wasn’t a crime. Utahns can expect the same, harassment from government officials in the form of criminal charges, if they do not vote for someone like Schanze, he said.

Saratoga Springs police spokesman Cpl. Aaron Rosen reiterated that the state believes Schanze did what he was accused of. The circumstances are the same, but the law is different, he said.

“We firmly believe that we would have had a successful case,” he said.

“In this particular case, the legislation as it has been passed will protect Mr. Schanze,” he said.

Rosen said when a law is changed, citizens receive the benefit of the new law. Schanze claims to have done nothing wrong, Rosen said, because the law eventually was changed and the act was not illegal in the end. The facts remain the same, and Rosen said Schanze will be charged again for his other violations.

• Janice Peterson can be reached at jpeterson@heraldextra.com.