[bvw]

In the 30's cowboy movie classic Republic Film's "Law and Order", the hero character played by the famous actor Harry Carey slings a short barreled shot-gun as an effective self-defense weapon.

The "sawed-off shotgun" craziness is just that -- insanity under judicial cover. Common sense and reason it ain't.

[lentulusgracchus]

I also recall a young James Caan in El Dorado, with Bob Mitchum and John Wayne. IIRC, Ed Asner was the bad guy: what a preview of coming attractions! His character died like a pig, satisfactorily according to the clime of the times.

This business of imputing state of mind to an instance of possession bothers me. If a guy possesses a pint of Turkey, does that imply intention sufficient to convict him of drunken driving and manslaughter, even though the tax stamp is unbroken? Possession of a rock of cocaine -- does that sufficiently imply armed robbery to go ahead and convict the possessor on apprehension?

It all sounds a little too Judge Dredd for me.

Defense motion for continuance denied -- Kaboom!