Good info and channel via two pro 2A attorneys:
In a defensive shooting, the brand of shoes I happen to be wearing will probably be used against me if it can.
While I appreciate legal advice, how I hedge my bets towards surviving a shooting will always take priority. A lawyers job is essentially to distort an event and present it with a preferred narrative and no matter what you do or don’t do that will still happen.
Remember the Duke LaCrosse case, AG Mike Nifong had DNA results which exonerated the defendants and rather than present to a judge for acquittal, he suppressed the evidence. A lab worker had to bring that evidence to light and that kind of oversight rarely happens, most people just STFU and keep doing their job.
So if you defend yourself against some peaceful protestors who were trying to peacefully kill you and peacefully burn down your home, your background won’t mean shit in court. If you have no training, you simply become and untrained killer who began shooting anyone and everyone without regard…if you have training…you are a trained assassin who has been laying in wait for the opportunity to kill anyone with even the slightest pretext.
That is the world and how it works and lawyer tactics change and evolve over the years which is why so many started getting training in the first place.
Completely agree.
Exactly. If you’re forced to shoot someone, STFU and let your lawyers do their jobs. Just make damn sure your lawyers know their job is NOT to give the prosecution any information. Their job is to refute any derogatory information the prosecution claims against you.
The police are told by their union to not speak at all about any shooting until an attorney is there to speak for them.
Every civilian has that same right.
I’ve gotten to know a former prosecutor pretty well. He said the facts, the law, all that was fine. He pretty much knew which way a case was going to go based on how well he was able to pick (and predict) what jury (and juror) was going to do before seeing anything.
Kyle was an example of the cleanest mechanics of a shoot that you could get, an inept prosecutor- and there was one Biddy on the jury that wanted to hang him, and almost did.
Just owning a gun and having a CCW, let alone CARRYING IT (oh my!), makes you a vigilante and SOF-wannab in a lot of people’s eyes.
I think this stuff might be regional, not accross the board.
Texas is still very conservative outside of Austin.
“I was scared to death. I thought him/they were going to kill me.”
This is the only statement needed until your lawyer shows up.
I would be like… “can I get autopsy pics to post my ammo performance on M4C?”
Probably still the number one legal advice to keep in mind.
My lawyer has instructed me to not even say that much. One thing about training is that I’ve remained mum about it on social media and the forums for the last 8 years. Unfortunately I didn’t make that decision until it was too late, so there’s FB and M4C postings about my training 8 to 10 years ago. After that I just quit posting stuff about any classes I’ve taken.
That’s a good idea. You can be 100% in the right and unknowingly not describe the incident in your favor. It’s not only what you say, but how you say it. A good attorney is supposed to listen to your account of the incident, then guide you through the interview.
You should try to have your attorney picked out before something bad happens to you. I suggest asking people you respect who they would hire to defend them in court. If the same attorney’s name keeps popping up, that’s good. If you know a civil attorney, ask them who they would pick for a criminal defense attorney. I also suggest paying close attention to the names of attorneys who defend people in serious criminal cases when you watch the news on television and read the newspaper.
If you do a little homework ahead of time, it will save you a considerable amount of heartburn later on.
Another thing you should keep in mind is that even with an attorney present, you are not required to make any statements at all. If you see hunger in an interviewer’s eyes, just shut it down and exercise your rights. You’re not “refusing to cooperate with the investigation”, you’re exercising your constitutional rights.
If you know for a fact that your attorney is making a big mistake, quietly disengage and seek other counsel outside the view of the investigators. Don’t get blinded by the fact that you’re represented, therefore your counsel is effective and going to give you good advice.
Trust me, I’ve been on conference calls where attorneys have effectively turned out their own clients and screwed any chance they may have had. 
While I agree with you, it makes me wonder if having a lawyer squared away in advance, specifically for a self defense situation, might also suggest pre-meditation? I’m thinking folks with the various types of CCW legal “insurance.”
“Something, something, Damned if you don’t.”
Cops are also civilians…No matter what they think.
I will continue to seek training when and where I can.
If don’t do social media, so a prosecutor would have a tough time using Facepage or Instatard accounts against me. I sure as hell wouldn’t volunteer any information.
The only issue I see with some training classes, is the usual group picture at the end which seems common with everyone all kitted out…who knows where the photos go
Some training I attended was one on one at my clubs range… I thought about attending a larger class but have held off so far.
I don’t do social media as well…but even going on gun forums can show up in a laptop search if warranted…I
Nevermind…
You can opt out of those photos. I’ve been to several classes where members opted out. I’ve even been to one class that said you’d be out with no refund if you took any pictures at all.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk