Five years in jail possible for felons who arm themselves
Pennsylvania inched closer to disarming convicted felons still bent on breaking the law when lawmakers in the state House today passed a bill mandating a minimum five-year prison term for any con caught with an illegal gun.
Five years in jail possible for felons who arm themselves
Pennsylvania inched closer to disarming convicted felons still bent on breaking the law when lawmakers in the state House today passed a bill mandating a minimum five-year prison term for any con caught with an illegal gun.
"This is the farthest a bill cracking down on illegal gun use has advanced in the Pennsylvania Legislature in more than four years," said Max Nacheman, executive director of CeaseFirePA.
The bill passed the House, 190-7. It now goes to the Senate.
Pennsylvania already mandates at least five years in prison for convicts who commit additional crimes while armed. This latest bill, though, requires the penalty even if the convict has committed no new crime other than arming himself or herself. People prohibited from having firearms in Pennsylvania include fugitives and anyone convicted of aggravated assault, kidnapping, rape, escape from prison, impersonating a police officer and false report of a missing firearm, Nacheman said.
“When a felon or other prohibited person is caught with an illegal gun, it is only thanks to good police work and luck that he or she was apprehended before there was an opportunity to pull the trigger,” Nacheman said. “When law enforcement officers are able to apprehend a criminal carrying an illegal gun before they use it to maim or murder an innocent person, prosecutors should have the tools to pursue penalties that fit the severity of the threat that the community was exposed to."
It's ABOUT TIME! If this actually passes the state senate & becomes law, Philly better get ready to re-open old Holmesburg prison. Cause they're gonna need a lot more beds/cells.— Kennedy- What was the law before and how much is this going to change anything?— towelie
- This is good news.— J5player
- Usual Suspects watch out!!!— cmoney
Comment removed.- I don't think it's gonna effect much, here in philly, they're just gonna drop the gun charge, like usually do. every time there's a murder, the shooter always have a prior gun charge but never serve any time.
18 Pa.C.S. § 6106: Firearms not to be carried without a license
a) Offense defined.--Any person who carries a firearm in any vehicle or any person who carries a firearm concealed on or about his person.... commits a felony of the third degree.
(4) A crime is a felony of the third degree if it is so
designated in this title or if a person convicted thereof
may be sentenced to a term of imprisonment, the maximum of
which is not more than seven years.
http://www.pitt.edu/~weinberg/grading.htm
— Nphilly - Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- ATTENTION EVERYBODY: What about EVAN DENNIS POWELL!? He was the State Parole District Director for Philadelphia, responsible for 1/3rd of the entire State Parole population and he was a convicted felon and fugitive from Northumberland County! He carried a State Owned Glock 19, 9mm Pistol for years! He was even a Gun Instructor and Armorer! He was in possession for SEVERAL STATE OWNED GUNS! When the U.S. AG and the ATF&E was told about this they did NOTHING!!! The State... to include the State AG's Office/Corbett did NOTHING!!! A law is only as good as it's enforcement! HEY CORBETT, HEY MEMEGER (FED AG for Philly) How bout getting off your dead butts and doing your D-U-T-Y! Sorry for using a 4 letter word :-( Yooo ATF&E still hiding from The "FAST & FURIOUS" Scandal? OK, arresting the Mexican Drug Cartels...after you gave them soooo many ASSAULT WEAPONS is hard, but nailing Powell should be easy...even for you...right? I hope? Guys...this ain't your "Finest Hour" :-)— John Law
- Let's hope the Philly DA's office uses this tool and doesn't plea out case after case to let felons return to city streets.— Taxpaying Voter
- I wouldn't hold my breath, because if the felon has information that might be useful to the cops and/or the D.A., or if the D.A. has a shaky case, they'll use that so-called mandatory five years as a bargaining chip, and we'll be where we are today--animals running around wild and free to commit even more (and, sometimes, more brutal) crimes. — wb2nd
- Hey, Barbara Laker...DAILY NEWS...Inquirer...how bout a follow-up story on Powell...you folks broke this story! How bout telling us how all these sworn Public Officials..."Missed Something"...Again...After being told again and again and again for years!!!!! What a "HALL OF SHAME" that will be.— John Law
- This is a great law will the courts enforce it?— oldbiker
- When you take away discretion from the judges, you tie the hands of the judicial process. Pennsylvania does NOT need another mando.— dbb3
- NOT GOING TO CHANGE A THING;YOU HAVE PEOPLE OUT HERE IN PHILLY WHO HAVE KILLED TEN OR 15 PEOPLE,WHO ARE STILL WALKING AROUND IN PHILLY,AND THAT SOUNDS UNBELIEVABLE,BUT IT IS TRUE.BY THE TIME THE POLICE CATCH THEM,THEY WILL HAVE GOTTEN TIRED AND WOULD PROBABLY JUST TURN THEMSELVES IN.SERIOUSLY,COME UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS "EFFECTIVE",AND NOT JUST PAPER.— knicknasty
