The Right to Shoot You Dead: New Texas Gun Law

March 29, 2007 · By Greg Farries

Criminals in Texas, you’ve been warned:

Governor Rick Perry’s office said on Tuesday that he had signed a new law that expands Texans’ existing right to use deadly force to defend themselves “without retreat” in their homes, cars and workplaces.[...]

The reasonable use of lethal force will be allowed if an intruder is:

- Committing certain violent crimes, such as murder or sexual assault, or is attempting to commit such crimes

- Unlawfully trying to enter a protected place

- Unlawfully trying to remove a person from a protected place.

The law also provides civil immunity for a person who lawfully slays an intruder or attacker in such situations.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but in Canada use of a firearm (or any type of deadly force) in self-defense will result in prosecution… Any lawyers out there want to confirm this?

Update: Shane pointed us to http://homeinvasion.ca -which does a fairly good job of highlighting the existing laws.

Comments

8 Responses to “The Right to Shoot You Dead: New Texas Gun Law”

  1. Shane on March 29th, 2007 10:42 am [#]
  2. Les on March 29th, 2007 11:26 am [#]

    I wonder if the crime rate in Texas is high?

  3. Frank Hilliard on March 29th, 2007 12:05 pm [#]

    It is legal in Canada to use deadly force to protect your life or that of someone else. In this sense, the law in Canada is remarkably similar to the new law in Texas. You have to be careful however to either have a witness or let the attacker generate an ‘evidence trail’.

    Check out Defence of Person in the Criminal Code for more details.

  4. Texas News - Page 2 on March 30th, 2007 6:04 pm [#]

    [...] The Right to Shoot You Dead: New Texas Gun Law [...]

  5. new texas gun law - Web - WebCrawler on September 3rd, 2007 9:04 am [#]

    [...] law, … http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=6990145 [Found on Google, Yahoo! Search] 10. ThePolitic.com " The Right to Shoot You Dead: New Texas Gun Law … homeinvasion.ca -which does a fairly good job of highlighting the existing laws. … [...]

  6. Randy STilley on January 20th, 2008 11:06 pm [#]

    I live in Texas. We love this new law. And another one went into effect on Sept. 1, 2007. We can now carry guns in our cars with no special licensing. As long as we are not felons and the gun was purchased legally and it is not in plain view.

  7. Norm Sharp on April 22nd, 2008 12:28 pm [#]

    In Canada they spent 2 “Billion $$” on Gun Control…and it didn’t work….criminals do not register firearms….also to a prvious comment on “Defending your home or person”…yes you can be prosecuted. Your wife would have to have her throat cut and you would need to be bleeding to death before the Court would say…”Shooting the Perpetrator was Justified”
    I rest my case.

  8. Blair on September 21st, 2008 8:52 pm [#]

    They passed this a year or so ago in Florida - and people said it would lead to a bloodbath.

    Not a single case since.

    When the criminals know you can shoot back, they are very reluctant to act.

Got something to say?