Lawmakers across the country are making changes to gun laws and doing away with the permits required to carry concealed weapons. According to USA Today, 12 states are considering laws that would get rid of existing concealed weapon permit requirements. Supporters say such moves will ultimately prevent crime, though opponents believe the opposite to be true. [Read more…]
Senate Considers National Concealed Weapons Bill
The Senate today will be voting on the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 822). This Act would make it lawful for people who have concealed carry permits to travel between states with their weapons as long as the states are those which allow for concealed weapons. As it stands, state laws vary so widely that it is nearly impossible for a permit holder to account for the law changes as they move from state to state. [Read more…]
Massachusetts Appeals Court Cites Melendez-Diaz in Firearm Possession Case
The Melendez-Diaz decision continues to reverberate in criminal court cases that use documentary evidence without expert testimony. In Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Hollister, the Massachusetts Appeals Court determined that a certified document of ballistic evidence in a gun possession case violated the defendants right to confront his accuser, as outlined in Melendez-Diaz. [Read more…]
Massachusetts DA Seeks Tougher Laws for Gun Crimes
A county District Attorney in Massachusetts is fighting for tougher laws for using a gun in a crime. The bill would make two new criminal laws – “Attempted Assault and Battery by Means of a Firearm” which would carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, and “Assault & Battery by Means of a Firearm”, with penalties of up to life in prison.
According to Bristol County DA C. Samuel Sutter, current law only calls for a maximum of ten years for pulling the trigger.
While this doesn’t seem like a completely outlandish idea, it’s hard to see what it exactly will accomplish. District Attorney Sutter makes the comparison to tougher drunk driving laws, stating that this new penalty will “make people worry” more about the consequences of their actions.
Someone it is hard to imaging a gang-banger thinking twice about doing a drive-by-shooting, knowing that the penalty could be an extra 10 years in prison.
A more plausible explanation here is a bit of political grandstanding the District Attorney. These kinds of “get tough on crime” laws always seem to help politicians looking to grab more power. Is the hoping to run for statewide office, with this legislation as part of a platform and a record?
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Further Reference: Mass Assault w/Dangerous Weapon Laws & Penalties.
