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Weapons Laws Subject to Judicial Interpretation

By Steven Rodriguez

Your home may be your castle, but in California that doesn’t necessarily give you the right to shoot at an intruder. Weapons laws are complex and place significant emphasis on certain judgmental issues, including the perceived seriousness of the threat, the degree of force necessary to meet the threat, and the assumed actions of a reasonable person. Under California law, you can use a firearm to defend yourself and your property from an intruder if a reasonable person in the same situation would believe that: the intruder intends to forcibly commit a life-threatening crime; there is imminent danger that such a crime will be committed; and the occupant believes that use of a firearm is necessary to save himself or another person from death or grievous bodily injury, defined as “significant or substantial physical injury...continue to full post

Full post as published by LA Criminal Defense Blog on April 19, 2008 (boomark / email).