The most important article you will read

[baldeagle]

What to do after a defensive shooting

Written by a former LEO, there are some very good tips in the article that might help you in a bad situation.

[Dragonfighter]

All sounds like what should be common sense, but it is good to take stock and be reminded of just how serious such a situation really is. Thanks for posting.

[sdmahoney]

One thing my CHL instructor said that I remember to this day is to tell the first cop you see that you want the criminal arrested, even if he is laying dead on the ground. The rationale was that in court if they ask the cop what happened, he would repeat what you said in front of the jury.

[texanjoker]

Not a bad article. This is something that seems to be forgotten in some of the chl shootings we read about. [quote]“Stand your ground, shooting only when there is an imminent threat against you, or that of others.”

His comments about attorneys is very true. I have dealt with attorneys over 20 years. A real estate, bankruptcy or some other type attorney that doesn't work criminal law is not your best bet. Often people want to use their family friend who knows nothing about criminal law and it hurts their case. Pay up for the correct attorney.

[ELB]

I'm reading Andrew Branca's Law of Self-Defense. I haven't finished it yet, but early on he makes a suggestion that I never heard before, but upon hearing, thought "Yes. That is the way to do it."

He said that more important than having the number of a lawyer to call is having the number of a friend(s) you can contact 24/7 who will without fail stay on the job of calling your lawyer or finding you a lawyer until he is successful. If you don't have lawyer lined up already, you are very unlikely to be able to make multiple calls trying to find one if you are in police custody. Even if you have a lawyer "on retainer," it is unlikely you can get more than a voicemail out of him in the middle of the night or on the weekend, and you may not get a chance to call again for some time. Or you may be far away, in another city or state. But if you can call (or text!) a (presumably pre-briefed) friend, he can make as many calls as necessary to get a lawyer lined up for you, and you will know that this has been set in motion.

This makes a lot of sense to me.

[JALLEN]

I'm reading Andrew Branca's Law of Self-Defense. I haven't finished it yet, but early on he makes a suggestion that I never heard before, but upon hearing, thought "Yes. That is the way to do it."

He said that more important than having the number of a lawyer to call is having the number of a friend(s) you can contact 24/7 who will without fail stay on the job of calling your lawyer or finding you a lawyer until he is successful. If you don't have lawyer lined up already, you are very unlikely to be able to make multiple calls trying to find one if you are in police custody. Even if you have a lawyer "on retainer," it is unlikely you can get more than a voicemail out of him in the middle of the night or on the weekend, and you may not get a chance to call again for some time. Or you may be far away, in another city or state. But if you can call (or text!) a (presumably pre-briefed) friend, he can make as many calls as necessary to get a lawyer lined up for you, and you will know that this has been set in motion.

This makes a lot of sense to me.

It sure can't hurt, but if you are in custody, keep asking for a lawyer every chance you get. When one eventually shows up, maybe one of the court appointed folk, tell him/her to contact your lawyer right away. It probably won't happen as fast as you want, but they can't hold you without a court appearance at some point and that's another opportunity to make the demand. In the meantime, keep your mouth shut, despite all the inducements and blandishments and temptations to do so. What your lawyer says in your behalf is not evidence and cannot be used against you. What you say can be, so zip it!

[gdanaher]

So, I don't have one of the insurance policies we all hear about, and I don't have a regular criminal attorney to call because, well, I have never had a need to call a criminal attorney. To be proactive, I probably need a name and number for someone, and perhaps even spoken to them at some time, who I can call, rather than wait for the public defender to show up. What is a good method of locating an attorney, knowledgeable of the CHL laws and self defense, whose name I could file away and hopefully never need to reference? And oh yes, they should not be a junior employee in a massive firm located at the other end of the state.

[Cshuff21]

[Pre-paid legal service]. That is who i use.

[Robert*PPS]

So, I don't have one of the insurance policies we all hear about, and I don't have a regular criminal attorney to call because, well, I have never had a need to call a criminal attorney. To be proactive, I probably need a name and number for someone, and perhaps even spoken to them at some time, who I can call, rather than wait for the public defender to show up. What is a good method of locating an attorney, knowledgeable of the CHL laws and self defense, whose name I could file away and hopefully never need to reference? And oh yes, they should not be a junior employee in a massive firm located at the other end of the state.

These are good questions. I've pondered the same thing. I've never been accused of a crime, so I have no idea who the criminal lawyers are in my area.