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4 Things To Know About Defending Yourself On Your Property

As a homeowner, defending yourself and your property is your right up to a certain point. There are many gray areas, so it's important to understand what it means when you are defending yourself against a trespasser on your property. Take a look at these examples:

  1. You Cannot Shoot Without Reason: First off, you cannot use a deadly weapon without reason. For example, if someone breaks into your home and you shoot before they do anything else, you will probably face charges, which could potentially be murder charges, so always be mindful of this. If you shoot, it must be within reason. For example, the trespasser is harming you or someone else in your home or is threatening you or a family member with a deadly force. 
  2. Physical Force Must be Within Reason: If you don't own a gun or have contact with another deadly weapon, the next best thing is to use physical force. You cannot use physical force without reason either, though. You can't continue to use physical force once the person is down on the ground and you cannot use physical force unless you feel that you are in danger. 
  3. The Police Will Judge First: First off, it's helpful to know that the police will judge first. This means that it should show that you were within your rights to defend yourself because you were feeling threatened. Chances are, at this point, you will not face charges. The police will instead take a report and witness statements and if it seems reasonable, let you off without facing anything at all. 
  4. You Need a Criminal Law Attorney: If you are pressed with charges because it didn't appear to the police that you were defending yourself within your rights, then you need a criminal law attorney right away. Your attorney will examine the evidence, take a detailed account of your story, and ensure that you are defending in a way that shows you did act within reason and should not face the charges for defending yourself and your property. 

Knowing these four things is important when it comes to ensuring that you are always within your rights. You don't want to end up with criminal charges, after all. So be sure that you are always making smart decisions. Even if you feel that it was the other person at fault for the situation, you could be held accountable if you are making poor choices in the situation in which you are in.  

Contact a law office like the Law Office Of  Lori Crystal, LLC for more information and assistance. 


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