Domestic Violence And New Jersey Gun Owners

A domestic violence case in Saddle Brook has created controversy over a person’s right to own guns. After responding to a domestic dispute call involving a 64-year-old women and her 65-year-old husband on Aug. 8, they asked the man if he had any firearms. When police learned that the man did have firearms in his home on Washington Street, they were forced to remove those weapons.

They eventually had to use a 23-foot trailer to remove nearly 200 guns and 100,000 rounds of ammunition. Authorities also confiscated 300 pounds of gunpowder despite laws restricting private citizens to 30 pounds. The man was charged with unlawful possession of gunpowder and pleaded not guilty to the charge. He hired a noted gun rights attorney to represent him in the case.

The man’s attorney contends that citizens have the right to own as many guns as they please. Police say they need to remove a possible tool to commit a crime. In this case, police point out that the guns and ammunition were not the issue but the way they were stored. It is alleged that the gunpowder was stored on shelves while the ammunition was merely stacked on tables. That gave police reasonable cause to believe something could happen if the firearms and ammunition were not removed from the home.

In a case involving domestic abuse, all necessary steps may be taken to ensure the safety of the victim. A family law attorney may be able to get a restraining order for the victim in a matter of hours if necessary and may also be able to get a judge to temporarily sever the parental rights of an abuser who has children.

Source: NorthJersey.com, “Kelly: When domestic violence laws clash with gun rights”, Mike Kelly, August 17, 2014

Source: NorthJersey.com, “Kelly: When domestic violence laws clash with gun rights”, Mike Kelly, August 17, 2014