Being drunk and armed at a bar might be a bad idea, but as long as you keep your gun in plain sight, you might be OK in the eyes of the law. That was one of the legal lessons offered to a 23-year-old Indiana man who was arrested at a Cody establishment over the weekend.

Charging documents say Silver Dollar Bar staff contacted police around 11 p.m. Friday, reporting that the man had come in “visibly intoxicated,” acted aggressively toward other patrons, refused to leave and appeared to have a concealed weapon.

Responding officers found a loaded Springfield Hellcat 9 mm pistol hidden on Gary W. Brooks III’s hip and a test put his blood alcohol content at 0.2% — more than double the legal driving limit. Police arrested Brooks on a misdemeanor charge of possessing a concealed firearm in a liquor establishment.

Brooks spent the weekend in jail, then pleaded guilty on Monday in Park County Circuit Court. He was released to serve six months of unsupervised probation, with $170 in penalties and fees.

Park County Prosecuting Attorney Bryan Skoric didn’t see a need for additional jail time, but expressed some concern about “being that intoxicated inside of a bar with a concealed weapon — even though presumably you can … open carry in a bar in the state of Wyoming.”

Park County Circuit Court Judge Joey Darrah later reemphasized that point.

“If you were carrying that openly, you could have done it,” Darrah advised the defendant, “but you had it concealed, and that’s what makes it illegal.”

Brooks said he didn’t know Wyoming’s laws, but took accountability for the “stupid mistake.”

“I know I messed up in a bad way,” he said, adding, “This is enough for me to learn my lesson, I promise you that.”

While on probation, Brooks is barred from possessing alcohol or being in bars, among other conditions, with 27 days of potential jail time hanging over his head.

Skoric recommended that Brooks also be barred from possessing firearms, but given his acceptance of responsibility, Darrah nixed that requirement for the traveling worker.

“You may need that gun,” the judge said, “so I’m not going to take your right to defend yourself away.”

Darrah did caution the defendant to learn the concealed carry laws of other states he visits, warning, “you can get yourself in some serious trouble.”