After the defense if you’re found guilty it’s simple. They don’t get squat. Bankruptcy is a thing you know.
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This is all what I assumed would be the case when I joined the USCCA. Obviously they’re not going to support me if I go around murdering people. Duh.
What I am minorly concerned about is what happens if a jury decides I acted in self defense, but finds me guilty of one of the numerous lesser charges sure to be piled on to any charges involved with a gunfight.
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Welcome, LEE59!!
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We all have to remember our training, gun laws, responsibilities’ that we gained in having a firearm on our person or in our home or car or truck. For a small example, if it is our home and property, we can
not run down a thief or a bad gunman that has been stealing personal property such a firearm or breaking into your truck for money. This problem has happened to people already. You can not shoot and kill or hurt the bad guy with a firearm, without you being charged and sentenced for murder or attempted murder.
The major rule here, we must be in fear of grave bodily injury or in fear of being killed, DEATH. Please let that thief run far away, alive and report the crime to police. If we are in pursuit of the criminal and we shoot to kill, we pay for that crime. We have to be in our safe home and the bad guy breaks in and chooses to shoot at you to kill, that is the difference here, you shoot back to stop that threat from killing you and your family. Call the police to report to them the trouble and them call USCCA for help legally.
I thought this was Courses given to all of us in training. We are not military or the police and we must follow the rules and laws. What a wonderful day in COURT this will make for everyone.
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Welcome to the family brother @LEE59 and you are in the right place at the right time.
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Lets put this in perspective. If you are involved in a shooting in most states there is a good chance you will end up in court or at least in jail. At this point we have some options. We can look for a bail bond service and pay 10 percent to get out on bail. if we show up in court we lose the 10 percent. If they decide to charge you we then have the free choice of getting an attorney or getting a public defender. Once again all on our dime. If you are found guilty you will go to jail and even if found innocent you pay bail and attorney fees or take your chances with a public defender. So far that applies to most people in the US.
The next option is have an attorney on retainer. Not really a economic advantage unless you are well to do. That attorney might come to the jail and get you out but if you have to pay bail they don’t usually take it out of the retainer. If you are found guilty you have paid your money and taken your chances.
The next option is to find a service like USCCA that takes a fee and provides a service to help you defend yourself in the case of self defense. It doesn’t matter what service you choose they can’t help you once a jury or a plea has indicated you are guilty. The best case is that you are out of jail and someone working to get the charges dropped. If not get you found not guilty.
The strange thing to me is so many seem to believe these companies should defend people even if they plead guilty. I used to visit people in the county jail years ago. 50 percent of the people I talked to said they were innocent.
In summation the choice is ours. Take care of it ourselves, pay out of our own pocket for someone to take care of it for us or join a service they will help with the problem. Then again someone could start a company that has lawyers that will defend the person, guilty or not. Might be more expensive. (Hyperbole is free of charge.)
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yes and they can lie to you during questioning legally. that’s why you NEED an attorney!
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Anyone who has even had a passing glance at a legal brief or any thing legalese for that matter knows its not for the layman to understand. Yep use a lawer!
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I just won my trial for defending myself from being attacked by two felons high on meth. The jury found me NOT GUILTY. Thanks to the USCCA I was able to fight charges of three felonies. I’m a free man because of the USCCA. THANK YOU USCCA!
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Welcome aboard @James73
Glad to hear you prevailed in court. This type of topic has come up before. IMO it devolves into a mess when the conversation devolves to “what if I’m guilty”?
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Unfortunately, a lot of innocent people end up pleading to something they are not guilty of… Granted, it’s total BS but when someone is looking at 20+ years and there is no guarantee a jury will find them not guilty vs. being offered some BS misdemeanor and a few days in jail or probation a lot of people will take it to avoid not only the possibility of going to prison for 20 years but to save a ton of money trying to defend themselves. Not to mention most people that have to use a public defender usually get someone who would rather make that BS plea than waste time actually vigorously defending them… We have the best judicial system in the world in America but it does not always work the way it should… If you can afford to go the distance one can usually get a positive outcome but many just can’t afford to sustain a legal battle that could literally last years. Stay safe!
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The McCloskeys? You know you have pardon in the wings. Avoid costs and time.
Paul
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Tim needs to get out in front of this matter and respond to concerns that USCCA may or may not have our backs in light of their policy changes. What happens to us with respect to coverage in the case of a guilty plea? We need to hear from the horse’s mouth.
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How quick they forget the fine print , a woke jury might be all we get now a days so wouldn’t it be prudent to not say certain things in forums because they will use it against us if we don’t choose our wording correctly
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That’s if they find our profiles within these forums.
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Welcome to the family brother @James73 and you are blessed to be here.
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Welcome to the family brother @Paul335 and you are in the right place at the right time.
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Welcome to the family brother @Philip59 and God bless you.
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It is a complex world, but certainly not simple, nor fair. While in a perfect world all of this makes perfect sense, but justice is not blind, only half blind.
So, at the risk of sounding not PC, if you shoot a minority person in self defense in a minority city, run by minority DA’s and Persecutors, you are in deep doo-doo. Do not kid yourself.
Citing an article out of guns.com “Study: Out of 146 Self-Defense Shooting Claims Across the Nation, 12 Led to Charges.” Note the word “Charges”.
So, if these data are reasonably accurate, you have a 1 in 12 chance of being “Charged”. Not bad for the good guys. No Charges Filed!
But, if you are “Charged”, and run into a highly prejudicial DA, Prosecutor, or Cop, the statistics are probably not so good. Mandatory Sentences include 5 years for having a firearm during the offense . 7 years for brandishing a gun during the offense. 10 years for discharging a firearm.
So, while it is noble to say “stick it out and fight it”, not-so-blind justice may deal you a bad hand, making a plea bargain look pretty good. Be damned careful when you think about drawing your pistol.
For the record, I am a Platinum Member of USCCA.
Long live the Republic.
Peter45
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Well if it didn’t work for them then why are they free and still carrying? Seems to me they are getting paid to support another group and disinform the public.
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