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WildBill wrote:I think that part of the mind set that "every bullet has a lawyer attached to it" is part of the rhetoric that tries to discourage self defense and concealed carry.

Gee, and I always thought it was just a visualization technique to make slamming bullets into steel plates more fun.

BTin wrote:I wish there was a way to make the CHL fees cheaper for these people.

Applicants at or below the poverty line get a 50% discount.

KD5NRH wrote:

WildBill wrote:I think that part of the mind set that "every bullet has a lawyer attached to it" is part of the rhetoric that tries to discourage self defense and concealed carry.

Gee, and I always thought it was just a visualization technique to make slamming bullets into steel plates more fun.

Attaching a lawyer to every bullet also messes up the ballistics.

Plato wrote:I often read of the legal expense involved in even a perfect defensive shooting and wonder "what's a guy to do?" Some of us working stiffs would be in finacial ruin if hit with $50k in legal fees -makes an hourly wage Joe think its better to just take your chances and leave the guns at home.

I guess I'm wondering how you guys deal with these issues. Or is CHL just for rich folks

Plato.. If you have a justified homicide, and need to hire an attorney then please start a fund raiser. I'll be happy to help out the cause.

Take the 50 grand out of the picture and it leaves me thinking...I'd rather be tried by twelve than carried by six.

And, if you want to put the 50 grand back into the picture it leaves me thinking that a funeral isn't cheap nor is it free.

Food for thought

Plato wrote:I often read of the legal expense involved in even a perfect defensive shooting and wonder "what's a guy to do?" Some of us working stiffs would be in financial ruin if hit with $50k in legal fees -makes an hourly wage Joe think its better to just take your chances and leave the guns at home.

I guess I'm wondering how you guys deal with these issues. Or is CHL just for rich folks

To the point of financial ruin I ask: Would you prefer to live your life, with your family in financial ruin, or would your family prefer to live a life of financial comfort, after your violent death in an altercation?

All freedoms come with a cost, some are financial, some political, some personal. It is the individual that chooses the freedom he wants. This was nicely put by Jefferson, Paine and others long ago:

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." -- Thomas Paine

I guess I'm with the majority on the "can you afford not to" but a few more comments. I think that instructors and others sometimes overemphasize and/or exaggerate the likely (or "absolute minimum") cost of firing in self-defense. I know mine said you should plan that it will cost you at least $8,000 if you fire your weapon. However, in several cases brought up on this forum, the shooter was never even charged (so there was no "no-bill", grand jury or anything). I think if it's a good clear-cut case, this is a significantly likely outcome. But you never know how a situation's going to work out when you hear a knock in the dark or some guy around a corner pops out with a gun and says "give me your wallet," so good to consider these things.

Another point: this is part of the reason that I do not plan to use my weapon for defense of property. For me personally, I don't feel it's worth it to a) take another human's life and b) deal with the possible legal fees afterwards to protect my tv. Helps that all my stuff is old junk. But that's just me. To each his own.

The NRA offers an insurance plan that will cover certain legal expenses if you are involved in a self-defense shooting. I don't know if it's technically "insurance" and I don't recall from the last time I looked at it exactly what it does cover.

Does anyone have any opinions on that plan?

After listening to/ reading literature by wise men and women, I have come to the conclusion that a closed mouth can save you a lot of money in a self-defense situation.

I think the majority of Joe Horn's costs were directly related to his mouth rather than his shotgun. JMO.

Carry your gun. Use it if you absolutely need it. However, also know what to say and what not to say to the 911 dispatcher and police that you speak to.

As some people have pointed out, money isn't the only cost of being arrested and charged with a crime. Nobody can "afford" to defend themself against wrongful prosecution. If you are more fortunate than most you may have enough "extra dollars" to spare so that you can hire a top notch criminal lawyer and not go bankrupt in the process, but nobody can truly "afford" getting arrested for a crime for which they did not commit.

I want to thank everyone for chiming in on this -and for the most part I've chosen to follow the old adage of "better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6".

But I'll admit this issue filters into my feeble brain more than I like I'm gonna look into some of the suggestions made throughout this thread, and hopefully I can gain a little piece of mind on the finacial side of this issue.

Just for background, I've had a TX CHL for quite awhile -did my 3rd renewal last March. I've spent the money for formal training and nowadays shoot one or two IDPA matches each month (SS in all semi-auto divisions). But I typically only carry on my person when taking long liesurely motorcycle trips -usually ride alone and just head out to parts unkown to get away from "it all"

I would rather be broke than dead. I can get more money.

It is really sad that we have to think like this in the USA..

Crazy but true....

But I will have to say, I would rather be in front of a Grand Jury than in the ground...

Venus Pax wrote:I think the majority of Joe Horn's costs were directly related to his mouth rather than his shotgun. JMO.

Here, I can save yo $49000. Pay $1000 to become a life member of the NRA and they will refund all legal fees once found not guilty or acquitted. Best insurance money can buy.