Secure Alabama Weapons or Face Serious Legal Trouble in 2018
Posted in Alabama Laws on December 13, 2018.
In recent weeks, an Alabama man pleaded guilty to a federal weapons charge after his son, a second-grader, took a gun to school and shot himself in the hand. The father, a 41-year-old Huntsville man, made a blind plea and may face up to 10 years in prison. This is partially because the defendant already had prior offenses. However, the danger the children were in and the seriousness of the offense are a wake-up call for Alabama gun owners.
In this case, the child knew where the gun was hidden (unsecured and loaded) inside the house. The second-grader then took the gun to school in his backpack and was subsequently injured while showing it to another student. It fired and shot through his hand. The injuries were non-life-threatening and limited to the one child. However, the risk that a gun on school property in the hands of a child posed is of grave concern to the Alabama justice and federal justice system. It is important to understand the best ways to secure guns in the home for optimal safety. This ensures safety in gun-owning households, as well as in the city.
2018 Gun Laws in Alabama
State gun laws allow both concealed and open carrying with a permit. Additionally, permitted gun owners do not have to notify a police officer they are carrying immediately if they are stopped. However, Alabama, like many other states, has strict rules about where you can and cannot take a gun.
First, only a permitted individual with paperwork can own a gun and keep it in a residential home. Additionally, even permitted owners cannot take guns on premises, concealed or open, in certain places including airports, schools, non-firearm-related sports events, mental institutions, hospitals, juvenile detention centers, halfway houses, courthouses, and jails. Though in some of those cases the person can gain special permissions, in almost every circumstance related to those locations, carrying a gun is illegal.
In addition to rules about where you can have a gun, several rules about who can possess a gun exist. Examples of persons who cannot legally own a gun include but are not limited to imprisoned felons or those who have not yet regained civil rights, persons deemed mentally unstable, and people under the age of 21.
Suggestions for Securing Weapons
In the case of guns, underage people should not get a hold of their parent or guardian’s weapons. They could face serious legal consequences. In addition to children, an adult person not licensed to carry could be able to remove a gun from the house, or the gun could end up on premises somewhere that is prohibited. Gun owners should follow the best practices for securing guns.
- Lock registered weapons in a gun safe and hide the key where only the owner has access.
- Unload guns not intended for protection and conceal ammunition securely.
- Keep concealed or open carry guns on your person or in sight at all times, always with the safety on.
- Do not boast or advertise to children, friends, or relatives where you store guns.
Ultimately, Alabama citizens should treat guns with the utmost care and concern. As a gun owner, you are liable for where your weapons are at all times. Gun ownership is a freedom and privilege somewhat unique to the United States. However, it is not one to take lightly. Further questions about gun laws in the state of Alabama, can be answered by the Mitchell Law Firm, LLC, in Birmingham. To schedule a free initial consultation with one of our Birmingham personal injury attorneys, call (205) 942-0249 or fill out a contact form online. Remember to always put safety and the law first as a gun owner.