Castle Doctrine signed by Corbett

[WarDog]

Sorry Link Is Broken Ill Post a New One ASAP!
Finally!!

[West Chester]

Pennsylvania Governor Signs NRA-Backed Castle Doctrine into Law

Fairfax, Va. - Governor Tom Corbett has signed Pennsylvania Castle Doctrine legislation into law. This common-sense measure permits law-abiding citizens to use force, including deadly force, against an attacker in their home and any place where they have a legal right to be. It also protects individuals from civil lawsuits by an attacker or attacker’s family when force is used.

“Gov. Corbett and Pennsylvania lawmakers know that law-abiding citizens must have the right to protect themselves when criminals attack without fear of being second-guessed by an overzealous prosecutor,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director, National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action. “Crime victims don’t have the luxury of time when confronted by a criminal and must be able to count on the law being on their side. This new law accomplishes that by removing any mandate of forcible retreat.”

The NRA has led the nationwide movement to pass Castle Doctrine legislation, beginning with Florida in 2005. Pennsylvania is the 27th state to adopt this important measure with overwhelming bipartisan support. House Bill 40, sponsored by Rep. Scott Perry (R-92), passed by a 164 to 37 margin. Richard Alloway, II (R-33), sponsored the companion bill to HB 40, Senate Bill 273, which passed 43-4.

“I am very gratified that Governor Corbett has signed this legislation into law, correcting the grievous error made by the previous administration in denying these long-sought protections to our citizens,” said Rep. Perry. “There are many people who have worked hard to get this legislation to this point, and I am grateful to my House and Senate colleagues and to the National Rifle Association for their support. The time has finally come to return common sense and good judgment to state government, and this legislation is a step in that direction. A criminal should never have an advantage over a citizen who abides by the rules of decent society, and today, we finally achieved the goal of returning the right of self-defense to the law-abiding.”

"Law-abiding gun owners should not have to fear prosecution for acting to prevent a violent crime," said Sen. Alloway, who introduced Castle Doctrine legislation that was approved by the Senate in March. "I am thankful that the General Assembly has taken action to protect responsible gun owners who respond when facing a serious threat from a criminal. I would also like to thank the NRA for their strong leadership and hard work on this effort as it moved through the legislative process.”

“On behalf of NRA members and all gun owners in Pennsylvania, I would like to thank Rep. Perry; Sen. Alloway; and Gov. Corbett for their leadership in helping make Castle Doctrine a reality for Pennsylvanians,” concluded Cox. “This Castle Doctrine bill places the law on the side of law-abiding gun owners who unfortunately become victims of crime – exactly where the law should be.”

Congrats and thank you to all who did actual work to get this passed

[Brown-Bear]

Finally, commn sense prevails over leftist fears.

[FJRMarty]

Congrats to all those workhorses who put so much time into this!!

THANKS! for your valuable time and dedication.

[ArcticSplash]

Wow. Just in the nick of time, too. It's heavily watered down but I'll take it.

When is the exact moment in time that it takes effect... is it effective immediately now that there is ink to the page?

[mrjam2jab]

Wow. Just in the nick of time, too. It's heavily watered down but I'll take it.

When is the exact moment in time that it takes effect... is it effective immediately now that there is ink to the page?

Section 8. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

Wonder if that is "calendar days" or "work days"?

[VeritasAequitas]

Great news! When exactly does this take effect?

[NikeBauer21]

The NRA has led the nationwide movement to pass Castle Doctrine legislation,

Really? Coulda swore the diligent citizens of this state are the reason this is being passed in PA.

Why doesn't it surprise me that they're stepping in after the fact and taking credit...

[NikeBauer21]

[ArcticSplash]

I'm still trying to find the senate conference version of the bill which is what the Governor signed today. Can someone post the link to it?


Here is a criticism from a lawyer (I dunno if it's a gun lawyer or not) concerning the watered down features of the legislation:
http://weekendappointment.com/conten...Bill-is-a-Sham


The troubling provision about open-public spaces, where if you use deadly force, Duty To Retreat still applies if the other party clearly does not have a firearm, I dunno if that's in the final language or not, but I'm going to assume it is.

The other provision about criminal activity inside the home invalidating the Castle Doctrine is something that will need to be tested in an actual trial, whether or not "expired prescriptions and firecrackers and building code violations" (whether its your building or if you have a landlord, his responsibility to clear up) applies to this doctrine. I presume the Supreme Court will be fielding criminal appeals coming out of the First District (which is Philadelphia) to help define the terms in the Castle Doctrine and how they apply.

In fact, I bet within 12 months that Seth Williams's office will be in front of the Supremes arguing over this thing.