Posted on 05/19/2008 3:28:56 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
Youths 18 through 20 may now legally possess handguns under a state Supreme Court ruling issued this morning.
The five-member court unanimously said the state law banning those under 21 from possessing handguns violated the state constitution.
The justices upheld a lower court ruling that threw out a York County indictment on that charge against Berry Scott Bolin.
The ruling mirrors a new state law that lowers the minimum age for S.C. residents to own a handgun to 18.
Bolin was 19 when he was charged in connection with the February 2006 shooting death of Bobby Royce Hovis III, 19. He also was charged with shooting and wounding another man in the same incident.
Bolin was indicted for murder, assault and battery with intent to kill, assault with intent to kill, discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent offense, and possession of a handgun by a person under 21, the Supreme Court ruling said.
Bolin in court papers said the law banning handgun possession for people under 21 violated his constitutional right to bear arms. The justices disagreed, though they said the law violated another section of the state constitution that grants full legal rights to everyone who is at least 18 — with the exception of alcohol purchases.
Efforts this morning to reach Bolin’s attorney or officials at the state Attorney General’s Office, which represented the state on appeal, were unsuccessful.
One down, five to go!
Courts don't grant rights, they recognize them.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Unfortunately, journalism schools do grant degrees.
“Courts don’t grant rights, they recognize them.”
Absolutely. The title of the story is pretty poor.
“Youths” equals adults.
Too bad the guy in the test case is a murderer.
Good deal. Now we’ll see if there is an instant rise in violent crime.
LOL, like this guy was obeying any of the other laws.
They say this boy shot into a car
after some girl got beat up by a man that was in the car
what do think you would do
You signed up to respond to a four month old thread?
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