When I was on grand jury duty I learned that if you use something as a weapon, you can be charged not just with assault or murder, but "criminal possession of a weapon."
If you own a legally registered gun in New Jersey, for example, and shoot somebody, you will be charged with criminal possession of a weapon. The action makes the possession criminal.
14 posted on 04/20/2011 2:17:28 PM PDT by dead
(I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)