I live in TX, I am planning on getting my ccw liscense, but a few things bother me. Am I correct that these are public record, so anyone who wants to know will know I have a ccw liscense, and probably a firearm? Another paranoid hypothetical question, if, in the unlikely circumstance that I went before a judge for a fight in which I was justified, (not a gun fight, just a fist fight), anyone think that knowledge that I have a ccw could be used against me, either portraying me as a violent individual, or finding me guilty for no other reason than to take away my liscense?
ccw
- Thread starter slojim
- Start date
slojim,
Yes, in Texas, who has licenses is public record, but the way the bill was written makes it darn near impossible for anyone who doesn't know you to find out that you have a license. Nobody can just go down and get a list of who has licenses. The only way to find out if a particular person has a license, is to submit their name to the TX Dept. of Public Safety with along with a 3 or 4 dollar fee. The DPS will say yes or no as to whether that person is licensed or not and that is it. To check on a large number of people, say like the residents of a city, it would just cost too much money to bother with.
I don't know who would want to find out whether you have a license or not, just to get you in a fight to take it away. I wouldn't worry about that sort of thing. People who do have licenses though, do need to stay out of fights of any kind if they hope to keep their licenses.
I highly recommend that you do get licensed, if for no other reason than being able to walk right into a gun shop and being able to buy what you want on the spot without the hassle of the computer background checks. The computers have been known to go down at the most inconvenient times thank to Clinton and company!
Joe
Yes, in Texas, who has licenses is public record, but the way the bill was written makes it darn near impossible for anyone who doesn't know you to find out that you have a license. Nobody can just go down and get a list of who has licenses. The only way to find out if a particular person has a license, is to submit their name to the TX Dept. of Public Safety with along with a 3 or 4 dollar fee. The DPS will say yes or no as to whether that person is licensed or not and that is it. To check on a large number of people, say like the residents of a city, it would just cost too much money to bother with.
I don't know who would want to find out whether you have a license or not, just to get you in a fight to take it away. I wouldn't worry about that sort of thing. People who do have licenses though, do need to stay out of fights of any kind if they hope to keep their licenses.
I highly recommend that you do get licensed, if for no other reason than being able to walk right into a gun shop and being able to buy what you want on the spot without the hassle of the computer background checks. The computers have been known to go down at the most inconvenient times thank to Clinton and company!
Joe
To answer your second question about how a CCW permit affects how a court views you in a fistfight:
I can sorta speak from experience there. Basically, I pushed four assailants away from a downed and injured beating victim, and then backed up with him away from the assailants. Two of the four loonies then pulled hammers, and I put my hand on the pommel of a large (5.5" blade) folding knife in a belt sheath, *without* drawing it yet because the nutcases weren't advancing and were at about 21ft range when they pulled weapons.
During the police interviews afterwards, they knew that I had been armed with that knife yet had avoided pulling it (lotsa witnesses). (I had voluntarily surrendered it at the door to the PD Station.) They thanked me for NOT drawing, and other than taking my statement as a witness to the initial assault, I faced no legal problems at all. In talking to the DAs later as a witness, they had a similar positive attitude to the cops.
(Attitude matters here. Basically, I calmly explained that I had the knife on me, I explained where it was and that it was both legal and NOT drawn in the recent altercation. I allowed them to draw it versus frightening them. They handed it back to me as I left.)
In other words, if you've got a legal gun and you DON'T pull it because things haven't gotten that hairball yet, you'll end up in BETTER legal shape, not worse. Remember that my incident was in the highly hoplophobic SF Bay Area where gun carry permits are obtained almost entirely through connections and campaign contributions, and the carry of monster cutlery isn't exactly common.
And you're worried in TEXAS!?
Dude, relax.
Jim
I can sorta speak from experience there. Basically, I pushed four assailants away from a downed and injured beating victim, and then backed up with him away from the assailants. Two of the four loonies then pulled hammers, and I put my hand on the pommel of a large (5.5" blade) folding knife in a belt sheath, *without* drawing it yet because the nutcases weren't advancing and were at about 21ft range when they pulled weapons.
During the police interviews afterwards, they knew that I had been armed with that knife yet had avoided pulling it (lotsa witnesses). (I had voluntarily surrendered it at the door to the PD Station.) They thanked me for NOT drawing, and other than taking my statement as a witness to the initial assault, I faced no legal problems at all. In talking to the DAs later as a witness, they had a similar positive attitude to the cops.
(Attitude matters here. Basically, I calmly explained that I had the knife on me, I explained where it was and that it was both legal and NOT drawn in the recent altercation. I allowed them to draw it versus frightening them. They handed it back to me as I left.)
In other words, if you've got a legal gun and you DON'T pull it because things haven't gotten that hairball yet, you'll end up in BETTER legal shape, not worse. Remember that my incident was in the highly hoplophobic SF Bay Area where gun carry permits are obtained almost entirely through connections and campaign contributions, and the carry of monster cutlery isn't exactly common.
And you're worried in TEXAS!?
Dude, relax
.Jim
There is no evidence that CHL status has been used against anyone in TX. In fact, CHLs have been acquited in marginal cases (which is ok with me).
If you want more info on tx chl - check out http://www.ptb.org/txchl or http://www.tsra.com
You are so ahead of the game with a chl that your fears while understandable are groundless.
If you want more info on tx chl - check out http://www.ptb.org/txchl or http://www.tsra.com
You are so ahead of the game with a chl that your fears while understandable are groundless.