Let's put up a case I'm familiar with as it happened to my next door neighbor.
His neighbor, an elderly womon leaves Tucson and goes somewhere back east every summer to escape the heat. She leaves my neighbor in charge of her house and car and he has the keys to both. The car BTW is a Mercedes Benz. Hearing noises, he arms himself and it's 4 punks trying to get into the car. The punks take off. A short while later, the aunt of one of the punks whose husband in LEO shows up and my neighbor get arrested and ends up eing charged with aggravated assault on minors with a firearm. Big bad juju.
When he goes to trial, that nice little old lady throws him to the wolves because if she doesn't, she can be sued by the parents of the perp. Neighbor is literally forced to plead guilty to the felony. He has a totally clean record, not even traffic tickets. Judge gives him one year of supervied probation and community service for I forget how many hours which he faithfully completes. The judge them adds 6 months unsupervised probation which again he completes. At the end of the probation, the judge by court orders his complter rstoration of right including owning firearms. I'm sure most of you would not approve. We live in the free state of Arizona. Ny neighbor not only applied for but has received his CCW. In AZ law, any felon who has had his rights restored of his crime expunged may apply for a CCW permit. Other than this incident, that man has NEVER been in any kind of trouble in is life, served honorably in the military when others were saying, "Hell no, I won't go." The man is my hunting partner and I know him as if he was my own brother.
Considering the attitudes I see here, I have to wonder??? How many first time offenders would do another crime if society would be a little more forgiving. He tries to find a job but no one will hire him. What's left?
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/13/03112.htm&Title=13&DocType=ARS
The pertinent part is E.:
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E. The department of public safety shall issue a permit to an applicant who meets all of the following conditions:
1. Is a resident of this state or a United States citizen.
2. Is twenty-one years of age or older.
3. Is not under indictment for and has not been convicted in any jurisdiction of a felony unless that conviction has been expunged, set aside or vacated or the applicant's rights have been restored and the applicant is currently not a prohibited possessor under state or federal law.
4. Does not suffer from mental illness and has not been adjudicated mentally incompetent or committed to a mental institution.
5. Is not unlawfully present in the United States.
6. Has ever demonstrated competence with a firearm as prescribed by subsection N of this section and provides adequate documentation that the person has satisfactorily completed a training program or demonstrated competence with a firearm in any state or political subdivision in the United States. For the purposes of this paragraph, "adequate documentation" means:
(a) A current or expired permit issued by the department of public safety pursuant to this section.
(b) An original or copy of a certificate, card or document that shows the applicant has ever completed any course or class prescribed by subsection N of this section or an affidavit from the instructor, school, club or organization that conducted or taught the course or class attesting to the applicant's completion of the course or class.
(c) An original or a copy of a United States department of defense form 214 (DD-214) indicating an honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable conditions, a certificate of completion of basic training or any other document demonstrating proof of the applicant's current or former service in the United States armed forces as prescribed by subsection N, paragraph 5 of this section.
(d) An original or a copy of a concealed weapon, firearm or handgun permit or a license as prescribed by subsection N, paragraph 6 of this section.
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Paul B.
