|
|
Wendy Howard not guilty of murder, jury deadlocks on voluntary manslaughter
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Wendy Howard, who shot and killed her ex-partner after he abused her for years, was found not guilty of first- and second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter Friday, while a Kern County jury deadlocked on the charge of voluntary manslaughter.
Howard, 53, had pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder after she shot Kelly Pitts on June 5, 2019 outside her Tehachapi home in a case her attorney characterized as self-defense while the prosecutor argued she committed murder. |
MO: Here’s why ‘stand your ground’ law protected woman who shot KC firefighter from charges
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A woman who fatally shot a firefighter in Independence will not face charges because of Missouri’s self-defense law, often referred to as “stand your ground.” The off-duty Kansas City firefighter, 41-year-old Anthony Santi, was on top of and restraining a 23-year old man in a chokehold outside of an Independence gas station, when the woman left the vehicle she was in, yelled at the men to try to break up the fight and fired a round that hit Santi in the back, ultimately killing him. |
NY: A Federal Judge Says New York's Ban on Guns in Church Is Unconstitutional
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A federal judge yesterday issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against enforcement of New York's ban on firearms in "any place of worship or religious observation." U.S. District Judge John Sinatra Jr. concluded that the rule, part of a law that New York legislators passed after the Supreme Court overturned the state's "proper cause" requirement for concealed-carry permits, "impermissibly infring[es] on the right to keep and bear arms in public for self-defense."
Sinatra's decision in Hardaway v. Nigrelli comes two weeks after U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby issued a broader TRO against New York's law in Antonyuk v. Hochul. |
WA: ‘Police cannot be the cure for gun violence’
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Guest host Spike O’Neill agreed with the statement, saying, while second amendment rights are important, all too often people are alienated from each other to the point where horrific killings like these are allowed to happen.
“I don’t think that the law enforcement community is the answer to the problem. To be completely blunt, law enforcement response to incidents of any crime, especially gun violence crime, [was] not going to get guns off the street … There are laws on the books that need to be enforced. But the cure for gun violence has to start with the people that you see day after day that you look in the eye in your home, that you look in the eye in your community,” Spike said. |
GA: #GUNVOTE Playing a Critical Role in the Georgia Governor Race
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
One of the biggest elections for a Governor’s race is in Georgia where voters will decide whether to keep Republican Gov. Brian Kemp or replace him with Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams. It’s a rematch from four years ago and this time, the #GUNVOTE will play a critical role in deciding the winner.
Election Day is less than three weeks away and the two gubernatorial candidates faced off in a debate to tell Peach State voters where they stand on the issues, including the Second Amendment. |
TX: Texas Sends Out DNA Kits To ID Kids' Bodies, Because That's The World We Live In
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Lots of items come home with students from school — permission slips for field trips, art work, half-eaten lunches, interesting rocks found on the playground. But over the past week, something more unusual was sent home to Texas families. In accordance with a 2021 law, S.B. 2158, families of Texas students from kindergarten to eighth grade were given DNA and fingerprint identification kits. While the language of the law cites the reason for the kits “to help locate and return a missing or trafficked child,” some lawmakers have acknowledged what has otherwise remained unspoken: that the kits could also be used to identify children’s bodies in the event of a school shooting. |
NC: 7,600 concealed carry permit applications waiting to be processed in Mecklenburg
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
If you are looking to get a concealed carry permit in Mecklenburg County you can expect a long wait time because there are thousands of applications still waiting to be processed.
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office said they are doing everything they can to get permits issued but the delay isn’t with their office. They cite medical offices, including Veteran’s Affairs, with the delay.
“When I first got mine it took about 3 months and now I think it’s at least double that,” Ron Pruette, who has been a gun owner for the last 50 years, said.
|
NY: Federal judge temporarily blocks New York state ban on guns in places of worship
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the part of a New York state law that makes it a crime for people to carry guns in places of worship.
U.S. District Judge John Sinatra Jr. sided with two Buffalo-area clerics joined by two gun rights organizations who had sued and sought a temporary restraining order to stop the enforcement of the law while the case proceeds.
The two sides are scheduled to argue the matter in court on Nov. 3 as Sinatra weighs whether to go further and issue a preliminary injunction. |
CA: New gun-owners group plans Nov. 20 event at Mother Lode Fairgrounds
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A new gun-owners group is planning an event at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 20 in the Sierra Building at Mother Lode Fairgrounds to raise awareness about potential legislation they fear could negatively impact concealed carry permit holders and businesses in Tuolumne County.
Tuolumne County Gun Owners, a new chapter of the nonprofit California Rifle and Pistol Association, has invited more than 1,500 CRPA members from five counties to the event, Mark Villaseñor, chair pro tem for the new group, said Wednesday in a phone interview. |
IL: 66-Year-Old Chicago Liquor Store Owner Dies In Shootout
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A Chicago liquor store owner got shot and killed Monday night while defending himself against an armed robber.
Police said a man entered J&K Food and Liquors and pulled a handgun. He demanded money from 66-year-old Salim Khamo, the owner working behind the counter. They do not know why the armed robber fired his gun, but police say the robber shot first, and Khamo fired back but missed his attacker. The assailant left the store on foot without taking any money or merchandise. |
NY: Judge blocks New York from banning guns in houses of worship in victory for Second Amendment
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A federal judge placed a temporary restraining order on a provision of a New York gun law Thursday that made it a felony for a person with a concealed carry gun license to bring a firearm into churches or other houses of worship.
The judge presiding over the case wrote that the state law failed the test established in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen , a 6-3 Supreme Court decision in June that held the state's former "proper cause" standard to obtain a concealed carry permit was unconstitutional. |
NY: New York’s Gun Law, Already in Jeopardy, Is Dealt Another Blow
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A federal judge temporarily blocked part of a new New York State gun law that prohibited firearms in churches and other places of worship, another blow to the law after a judge threw large portions of the measure into doubt this month.
The challenge to the law by two religious leaders in Buffalo, who were joined by the Firearms Policy Coalition and the Second Amendment Foundation, was based on a provision in the new state measure that prohibits firearms in “sensitive” locations, including places of worship or religious observance. |
IA: Winnebago County Democrats: Right to Bear Arms Amendment
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Two phrases in this proposed amendment are especially troubling. The first is “a fundamental individual right.” A “fundamental” right cannot be challenged; there can be no exceptions for possessing an arm or weapon. Therefore, felons, persons with mental issues, and those that cannot pass background checks will be able to own weapons, contrary to the majority opinion of American society. None of our other rights are absolute and limitless, even free speech (e.g., One cannot simply yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater). |
WI: Consider state of the world when voting
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Likewise, the Second Amendment is repeatedly used to justify a class of weapons so powerful officers in Uvalde, Texas, hid in fear for 90 minutes leaving a classroom of dead kids and a little girl identified by only her shoes. In Philadelphia, a judge blocked a mayor from banning guns in the city's playgrounds. How is that the right direction? |
CA: California Firearm Groups Aim to Challenge Bill Modeled After Texas Anti-Abortion Law
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Gov. Newsom labeled the law as an explicit response to the passing of Texas’ anti-abortion law. SB 1327’s main goal is to attack the logic of the Texas law. Both statutes place power in the hands of citizens aiming to police the actions of others while also placing a monetary contingency on those who challenge the statute. This state vs. state retaliation, however, has ultimately led to it being a contentious issue for gun advocates.
CA firearm advocates such as the San Diego firearms dealer Gunfighter Tactical, San Diego County Gun Owners PAC, Firearms Policy Coalition, and the Second Amendment Foundation proclaim that the provision is unconstitutional and that it “seeks to suppress firearms-related litigation.” |
Impact of Firearms Industry on Idaho and Washington Economies
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Gun ownership has been a staple of traditional American life since the inception of the country, and even long before then. Some Americans use guns only to go hunting, for sport, or home protection, but there are many gun enthusiasts who embrace the Second Amendment and load up on as many firearms as they can. Whether it is one gun or 20, selling guns in the United States is a lucrative business.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates that Americans bought roughly 18.5 million firearms in 2021, the second most ever in a year and down only slightly from the record-high 21 million in 2020. |
OH: This Is How Much Money Ohio's Economy Makes From The Gun Industry
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Gun ownership has been a staple of traditional American life since the inception of the country, and even long before then. Some Americans use guns only to go hunting, for sport, or home protection, but there are many gun enthusiasts who embrace the Second Amendment and load up on as many firearms as they can. Whether it is one gun or 20, selling guns in the United States is a lucrative business.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates that Americans bought roughly 18.5 million firearms in 2021, the second most ever in a year and down only slightly from the record-high 21 million in 2020. |
NY: NYC tech chief packs a pistol at work amid Mayor Adams’ calls to curb spread of guns
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
New York City’s chief tech honcho regularly carries a gun to work, a decision that has left staffers concerned and questioning why he’s been permitted to do so, according to three sources who’ve seen him packing heat on the job.
Chief Technology Officer Matt Fraser’s sidearm appears at odds with the rhetoric from his boss, Mayor Adams, who has bemoaned the proliferation of firearms and expressed deep concern about a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that rolled back a New York State law restricting concealed weapons. |
|
|
