New domestic violence gun law in SC hard to track in court

In Vermont between 2006 and 2014, there were 15 domestic violence-related firearm homicides in the state, according to statistics compiled by The Associated Press.

Advocates for domestic violence victims in Virginia are praising a rare compromise in Richmond that could shepherd into law a measure that would strip abusers of their gun rights.

Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence executive director Laura Berry says lawmakers could take several steps to restrict Hoosiers with a history of domestic violence from possessing guns.

MA has some of country’s toughest gun laws and relatively few fatal domestic violence shootings compared to states with similar populations. That number is likely low because not all law enforcement departments report such information, and the numbers don’t include children or other bystanders killed by domestic violence.

“It’s important that we continue to always find ways, if we need to, to improve our laws but at the end of the day, I don’t know that it’s really about changing the laws as much as it is making sure we are zealously enforcing the laws we have on the books”, he said. He pointed to Federal Bureau of Investigation data that found that more than half of women slain with guns in the U.S.in 2011 were killed by intimate partners or family members.

Vilos said the focus shouldn’t be on laws but on establishing a culture where domestic violence victims are taught how to protect themselves, Vilos said.

Federal law already prohibits having a gun for people convicted of a domestic violence-related misdemeanor and those who are subject to permanent domestic violence protective orders. The measures have been backed by victims’ advocates, law enforcement groups and gun-control supporters who see easy access to firearms as a contributor to domestic violence killings.

“There is no evidence that simply taking away people’s guns without a fair hearing makes the victims any safer”, NRA spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen said.

No permit is required to obtain most firearms in Nevada, and guns can generally be openly carried, although buying high-powered weapons may require a federal permit. Florida’s statistics are not included in the FBI’s report, which covers all other states and the District of Columbia, but were analyzed separately by The Associated Press.

Advocates had hoped the final law would mirror the less-nuanced federal gun ban on domestic abusers possessing guns, though no push is underway at present to amend and strengthen firearms provisions in the new law, Barber said. He said such legislation could be exploited by vindictive ex-spouses who level false allegations of abuse. “We believe they are absolutely lifesaving”. The data isn’t available yet, and it might take a year or two to determine what effect the change has had, she said. Some of these measures have been passed alongside larger laws expanding gun rights.