Free Republic

In the Lowe case, news stories said, a thug named Loren Manning Jr., accompanied by two other thugs, jumped Lowe on a city street last October. Lowe, 57, is a disabled and retired Marine, who has had two strokes and two heart surgeries and wears a pacemaker. Manning and his sidekicks attacked Lowe and witnesses said Manning chased him and tried to clobber him with a metal pole before catching him and pinning him to the ground, where Lowe managed to retrieve a small pocket knife and used it to stick Manning, who, tragically, died. This is Philadelphia, mind you,...

Imagine the horror of having your home or business plundered by thieves. Not a good feeling, but even harder to fathom that the bad guys who did it could end up suing you in court. State lawmakers say an existing legal loophole allows thieves to file civil lawsuits against home and business owners if they end up getting injured while intruding. But a bill working its way through the Alabama State Legislature would put an end to the practice. If approved, House Bill 46 would grant immunity to property owners from civil lawsuits by criminals in almost all circumstances. State...

Just a couple of days ago, Media Matters had another list of false claims and I responded to their list here. Now Media Matters attacks an op-ed that I had at the New York Daily News. After David Brock's, the founder of Media Matters, hypocrisy in having Media Matters constantly attacking gun ownership while at the same time illegally having handguns publicly carried for his own self defense in Washington, DC, his organization continues its "do as I say, not as I do" policy. It is too bad that in the past Media Matters has refused to let me post...

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A bill that would expand the right to use lethal force as a means of self-defense is dangerous, without support in the prosecutorial community, and rife with potential unintended consequences, an Anchorage prosecutor said Friday. James Fayette, an assistant district attorney, took a day off work to fly to Juneau on his own dime to speak out against HB80 during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Big Lake, would allow Alaskans to use lethal force in self-defense anywhere they are legally allowed. Current law explicitly affords that right only when...

DENVER — Colorado Senate Democrats rejected legislation to expand self-defense protections for businesses, saying Monday the proposal would give too much leeway to use deadly force against suspected intruders. "This dramatically changes self-defense," said Sen. Rollie Heath, a Democrat from Boulder.

Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed the so-called "castle doctrine" self-defense bill on Monday. The proposal, supported by the gun-rights groups and opposed by Minnesota's law-enforcement organizations, would have expanded the legal justification for citizens who use deadly force in threatening situations. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, and Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, R-Vergas, was the top priority of the National Rifle Association and drew some DFL votes in addition to near-unanimous Republican support. The measure passed by votes of 40-23 in the Senate and 85-47 in the House. It would have changed the legal definitions of self-defense for someone...

Wednesday was an eventful day in Des Moines for pro-gun advocates that began with the House Democratic caucus’ mass exodus from the state capitol in protest of the scheduled consideration of two NRA priority pro-gun bills. Despite the fact the Republican majority had a quorum and could have passed legislation without the Democratic caucus, action was delayed until the caucus returned late in the afternoon. Once normal order was restored, gun owners in the Hawkeye State saw the Right to Keep and Bear Arms state constitutional amendment amended to the original NRA-supported language and passed. Gun owners then saw the...

A new Minnesota Senate bill would give you more power to use self-defense outside your home. Right now, Minnesota law allows you to protect yourself in your home if you are threatened or believe you are in imminent danger. The law also allows for the use of deadly force. But, under that same law, if you are in public and threatened, you are technically supposed to try and leave the scene or diffuse the situation if possible. If you cannot "retreat" from the threat, you then can use deadly force in self-defense. This new Senate bill, which passed 40-23, not...

ST. PAUL – A bill that would expand Minnesotans’ self-defense rights was approved 40-23 Thursday night by the state Senate. The Personal Protection Act – known by many opponents as the “shoot first” bill – extends the right to use deadly force for personal protection outside the home to any place where an individual lawfully can be, sponsor Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, R-Vergas, said. “This bill isn’t just about guns,” it is about allowing any use of deadly force if necessary to guard against imminent danger, Hoffman said. The bill, approved by the House last year, also would require Minnesota to...

The Des Moines Register ran a story today that highlights the need for a strong “Stand Your Ground” law. Not just in Iowa, where it is being hotly debated right now, but anywhere in the country that the freedoms and liberties of citizens who are going about their day-to-day activities are expected to be more important than those of citizens who have little regard for the life and health of others in the community. In their story, the Register details the circumstances around a man, Jay Rodney Lewis, who was put in jail and stayed there for 112 days until...

OMAHA, NE --(Ammoland.com)- Sarah McKinley, an 18-year-old Oklahoma mother who was forced to shoot an armed intruder in her home last New Year’s Eve, has released an open letter to Nebraska residents that supports the efforts of the Nebraska Firearms Owners Association (NFOA) and other citizen groups in trying to pass a Victim Protection Act in Nebraska. A copy of her letter is attached or can be found at ProtectVictimsNOW.org. On the evening of January 31, 2011, Mrs. McKinley and her infant son were home alone, as her husband had passed away just a week before after a painful fight...

Senator Gretchen Hoffman isn’t letting police union opposition to a gun bill she sponsored get to her. Instead, she’s focused on the voices of support she’s received on a piece of legislation she’s dubbed the “Stand Your Ground” bill. The bill (SF 1357) expands gun owners’ self-defense rights. Currently, the use of deadly force is authorized when a person believes they are in danger of bodily harm or death, but the new bill presumes that threat may be posed by a home invader. It also eliminates residents’ “duty to retreat” from a threat if possible, instead allowing deadly force. The...

Minnesota gun and self-defense laws could be set for some major changes if Bill 1467 is signed into law. It's an attempt to enhance the rights of homeowners during an intrusion, and broaden permit-to-carry law. Supporters say the bill only reaffirms and guarantees people rights they should already have under the Second Amendment - the right to bear arms. Opponents disagree, saying it puts people in more danger, most notably law enforcement officials. Bill Bergquist – Clay County Sheriff: “Shoot and ask questions later is what it looks like, so there's some concerns about that.” It's commonly known as the...

DENVER — Republicans moved forward with a proposal to let businesses use deadly force against intruders, one of a handful of GOP proposals being heard Thursday aimed at expanding gun rights.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the Ohio Supreme Court (OSC) has declined to hear the case of a 55-year-old Cleveland homeowner convicted in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court last year of killing an intruder. In 2010, Carl Kozlosky was convicted by a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court jury and sentenced last year to 18 years to life in prison for the shooting death of Andre Coleman on Sept. 20, 2009. Last fall, the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals ordered a new trial for Kozlosky, saying there was overwhelming evidence that he had acted in self-defense. "Under the...

The law governing the right to defend yourself and make a citizen's arrest is sailing through Parliament on a calm sea of cross party support. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson appeared at a House of Commons committee Tuesday to discuss Bill C-26 -- the Citizen's Arrest and Self Defence Act -- and faced tame questions from MPs. "He was defending his own house and property and he still had to hire a lawyer and go to through the court process when he was defending his home and family, how would C-26 make this different?" asked Liberal MP Judy Sgro, referencing one...

The Ohio Supreme Court declined Wednesday to hear the case of a 55-year-old Cleveland homeowner convicted in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court last year of killing an intruder. When the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals threw out the conviction of Carl Kozlosky and ordered a new trial, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason appealed the decision. The Ohio Supreme Court's decision Wednesday returns the case to Common Pleas Court. Kozlosky was sentenced last year to 18 years to life in prison for the shooting death of Andre Coleman on Sept. 20, 2009. Coleman broke into Kozlosky's house and began beating...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Greene County sheriff's deputies and Springfield police officers recently picked up five suspected burglars at two homes within four days. Cops said the arrests were thanks in part to alert citizens. In both instances, regular people tracked down the burglars and held them at gunpoint until officers arrived. Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson warns citizens, however, that although they might feel emboldened by a law that lets them defend themselves against intruders on their property, the law doesn't give them blanket permission to shoot an intruder. "I was fortunate that it turned out like it did....

OKLAHOMA CITY - A push to strengthen the rights of citizens across the state is on the agenda as Oklahoma lawmakers look at the 2012 legislative session as a time to expand the rights of gun owners. State Senator Steve Russell said Sunday he is working to strengthen Second Amendment rights. "I think it's important constitutionally," explained Russell. "What we see are homeowners able to save their own lives and business men and women able to save their own lives. We have to keep that in view." 1/29/2012 Related Story: Oklahoma Lawmakers Look To Expand 'Make My Day' Law Several...

An increasing number of intruders in St. Louis are being gunned down by homeowners, due in part to a 2007 self-defense law known as the castle doctrine. But now, authorities are changing how they review apparent justifiable homicide cases.