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July 12, 2017, 09:22 AM | #1 |
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Minnesota man gets 90 days for killing possible burglar
We hear of very stiff sentences for killing an intruder, but in Minnesota,
a man gets sentenced to 90 days in jail by a judge who said the homeowner opened fire "out of fear and maybe some stupidity." And he wasn't even inside the house when he did it. Pause for thought, eh? https://www.yahoo.com/news/minnesota...210000527.html
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July 12, 2017, 10:31 AM | #2 |
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I suspect the evidence showed that the victim was out to commit a crime and while the homeowner acted inappropriately the DA/Judge felt the victim was also responsible for his own death. It does concern me that the guy went outside and fired at a fleeing vehicle and I suspect he is very lucky things turned out the way they did.
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August 8, 2017, 06:23 PM | #3 |
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Keep in mind this is the result of a plea bargain.
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August 8, 2017, 09:17 PM | #4 |
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As mentioned, this was the result of a guilty plea pursuant to a plea agreement. Nothing can be inferred about the merits of either the prosecution's case or a possible self defense claim.
Also, this is a conviction of a felony and therefore will result in a loss of gun rights.
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August 8, 2017, 09:20 PM | #5 |
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Frank, are you privy to more information than was in the article? All the article says he was convicted of was "dangerous discharge of a firearm." That doesn't sound like a felony-type charge,
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August 8, 2017, 09:41 PM | #6 | ||
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Quote:
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"It is long been a principle of ours that one is no more armed because he has possession of a firearm than he is a musician because he owns a piano. There is no point in having a gun if you are not capable of using it skillfully." -- Jeff Cooper |
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August 9, 2017, 10:25 AM | #7 |
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So the two possible offenses are "dangerous handling" and "reckless discharge," but (according to the article) he pled guilty to "dangerous discharge" -- which is apparently not an offense under the law. So the details in the article may be wrong (SUPRISE!), and it seems we don't know enough to determine if he was convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony.
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August 9, 2017, 10:51 AM | #8 | ||
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Quote:
Quote:
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"It is long been a principle of ours that one is no more armed because he has possession of a firearm than he is a musician because he owns a piano. There is no point in having a gun if you are not capable of using it skillfully." -- Jeff Cooper |
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August 9, 2017, 11:26 AM | #9 |
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According to this article from the local paper, Mr. Petterson pled guilty to a felony that carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
"Noting that Pettersen is being convicted of a felony, Watonwan County Attorney Stephen Lindee said the plea deal was appropriate given the facts of the case."
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