When You’re Falsely Accused of a Gun Crime – 12 Things You Need to Know

ammoland.com ^ | 28 November, 2012 | Michelle Gesse

[marktwain]

"Be the first to call 911. The person to call 911 is always going to be considered the victim, regardless of the circumstances. If you find yourself in any sort of threatening situation, whether it’s with a family member, friend, coworker, or complete stranger, don’t hesitate. Be the first to call 911. While it may not seem “right” or “fair,” the first person to call 911 is going to be regarded as the victim, regardless of the facts or the truth."

See the current Dunn and Joran case in Florida as an example.

[Boogieman]

#13 - It’s probably not a good idea to try to “shoot your way out”.

[PapaBear3625]

Steven and Michelle were stunned and terrified when the neighbor’s son, who had also been a guest at the dinner party (and was an active Navy Seal), returned later in the evening threatening Steven and demanding an apology. Thinking, Okay, I’ll go over and apologize and be done with it, Steven went next door to try to smooth things over.

It's best, ahead of time, to invest in a good digital recorder, and record any conversations which might turn confrontational.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

“During dinner that night, my husband, Steven, made an offhand comment that offended one of our guests,”

I read the article and didn't see what the offhand comment was. Not strictly relevant to the issue but I'm curious.

[wjcsux]

later read

[Daveinyork]

I suspect that if you are threatened in your own home by an active navy seal, a call to 911 may be wise.

[I want the USA back]

The only people innocent even though proven guilty are the officially certified victim groups.

[DManA]

I know. The fact that they left out this central fact makes you kind of suspicious of the whole article.

[CGASMIA68]

I have always heard,1st one to get an Attny,wins”.

same premise I suppose

[Mr. Silverback]

bump!

[CGASMIA68]

I learned a long time ago to keep neighbors as just that neighbors.
To many horror stories about neighborhood parties and get togethers that later produce bad feelings.

[marktwain]

I suspect that if you are threatened in your own home by an active navy seal, a call to 911 may be wise.

If we accept that the accuser lied about the threat, perhaps he lied about being a Navy Seal. I wonder if anyone checked?

[Arkansas Toothpick]

How about “dead men tell no tales”?

[FreedomPoster]

>>It’s best, ahead of time, to invest in a good digital recorder, and record any conversations which might turn confrontational.

There is a built-in recorder app on iPhones, and I expect Androids would have a similar app. I keep it close to the top left on my home screen. Learn to use the recorder app on your smartphone and/or tablet, if you have one.

It also wouldn’t hurt to learn to email the recording quickly. That way if you lose control of your phone, the recording is still accessible.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Our country’s criminal justice system puts the heaviest burden on the defendant…

I wish they'd stop calling it the criminal justice system. One will not find justice at a court house. One will only find the law and those who are more than willing to manipulate it to serve their own ends.

[Second Amendment First]

NEWARK – Citizens can hold police accountable in the palms of their hands with “Police Tape,” a smartphone application from the ACLU of New Jersey that allows people to securely and discreetly record and store interactions with police, as well as provide legal information about citizens’ rights when interacting with the police. Thanks to the generosity of app developer OpenWatch, the ACLU-NJ is providing Police Tape to the public free of charge.

“This app provides an essential tool for police accountability,” said ACLU-NJ Executive Director Deborah Jacobs. “Too often incidents of serious misconduct go unreported because citizens don’t feel that they will be believed. Here, the technology empowers citizens to place a check on police power directly.” In light of the frequency of altercations between citizens and seasonal police at the shore, the ACLU-NJ released the App in time for the July 4th holiday.

The Android “Police Tape” app records video and audio discreetly, disappearing from the screen once the recording begins to prevent any attempt by police to squelch the recording. In addition to keeping a copy on the phone itself, the user can choose to send it to the ACLU-NJ for backup storage and analysis of possible civil liberties violations.

A version awaiting approval from Apple will be available later this summer in the App Store for iOs to audio record encounters with police.

The popularity of cellphones with video capabilities has raised legal questions about the rights of citizens to record in public. Fortunately, the courts have sided with citizens. In May 2012, a federal appeals court struck down an Illinois law that had made it illegal for citizens to record police officers on-duty. Also in May 2012, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice released a letter affirming the constitutional rights to record the police in public. These two developments came on the heels of a landmark ruling in August 2011, which recognized the right of citizens to record police officers after a Massachusetts man in Boston Common was wrongfully arrested for filming an interaction with a police officer.

“Historically, vivid images of police mistreating citizens have seared our public consciousness and in some cases spurred important changes,” said ACLU-NJ Policy Counsel Alexander Shalom. “Photos and video are critical to ensuring police accountability and police should know that the eyes of the public are on them at all times.”

The “Police Tape” app is available for download at http://www.aclu-nj.org/yourrights/the-app-place/. A how-to video created by the ACLU-NJ shows Lady Liberty as she goes through each step of the app as she records and uploads her own run-in with police. The New York Civil Liberties Union released a similar, New York City-specific app to target “stop and frisk” searches by the New York Police Department in early June.

[ArrogantBustard]

I suspect that if you are threatened in your own home by an active navy seal, a call to 911 may be wise.

If you are threatened in your own home by ANYBODY, taking defensive measures (including a 911 call) may be wise. Going to another person's home, who is pissed off with you, is not wise.

[Second Amendment First]

See post 16

[Niteranger68]

One rule they should have considered is to never, ever set foot on the property of someone you are currently having conflict with.

[uncommonsense]

So there is no legal recourse against someone who files a false criminal complaint, affidavit, or purgers themselves?