Father of boy who shot friend gets 3 yrs
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| Sun, 07-18-2004 - 1:21pm |
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_story.asp?category=1110&slug=Child%20Shot%20Sentence
Saturday, July 17, 2004 · Last updated 8:28 p.m. PT
Father of boy who shot friend gets 3 years
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The father of a boy who shot and killed a playmate with a loaded gun he found stashed under a sofa was sentenced to nearly three years in prison, followed by probation during which he must speak monthly on gun safety.
Louis Mevec Sr. was sentenced Friday for felony culpable negligence in the 2003 death of Sean Caroline II. Mevec, who owned the .357-caliber Magnum used to kill the 12-year-old friend of his son Louis, was convicted last month.
During his father's trial, 14-year-old Louis testified that a small group of Largo Middle School students had skipped school and were playing video games at Mevec's apartment when he pointed the gun at Sean and shot him between the eyes.
"I blame you and only you for my son's death," Sean Caroline, Sean's father, told Louis Mevec Sr. in court Friday. "My wife and I are also serving a sentence ... but we got no trial. Ours is a life sentence."
Circuit Judge Brandt Downey sentenced Mevec, 53, to the maximum six-year prison term, but suspended more than half of it and replaced it with probation. His remaining sentence is 34 months, but with good behavior he could be released by late 2006.
The Caroline family had asked that Mevec be required to speak on gun safety after his release.
The younger Louis Mevec was sent to a juvenile facility and is now living in New York with his mother and younger brother.
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Nor does it mean that using a firearm to defend against an unarmed assailant is wrong.
In my state it is.
Just because I'm curious, if someone threatened your daughter with physical harm would you still have the "I don't want to inflict harm on the criminal" viewpoint? While it's easier for me to say I would be slower in protecting my own self, I *know* that if I felt my kids were in danger that was caused by someone else, I would want to kill
them. 'Course, even though I'm pretty mild mannered I have been known to get really aggressive in situations where I've felt that loved ones were threatened, so maybe that's just *my* initial reaction.
And therein lies the reason for Castle Doctrine. If they are in your home uninvited, you can safely and legally assume ill intent on their part and take action accordingly. Too bad that some of our states still don't recognize the legitimacy of CD, but there's always hope for the future.
~mark~
The prosecutor tried to have them indicted on manslaughter charges because they were protecting their business and not their homes. The Grand Jury refused to indict the guys. The amazing thing is the "victim"'s family called a press conference because of how bad their son/brother was treated and that he was a good man. Well let him be good in the grave...cause he wasn't in life.
And I know from experience to have your home entered without invitation, especially when you're present, makes you feel extremely violated. Your home just doesn't seem safe anymore. Add on top of that the knowledge that the person would have had to take something from your home, threaten you with a weapon, or inflict some sort of bodily harm upon you in order for you to make any criminal charges worth any weight stick, or to legally have the right to defend your home, you feel not only violation but futility as well.
Quite frankly, it sucks.
unbelievable.
Just because I'm curious, if someone threatened your daughter with physical harm would you still have the "I don't want to inflict harm on the criminal" viewpoint? While it's easier for me to say I would be slower in protecting my own self, I *know* that if I felt my kids were in danger that was caused by someone else, I would want to kill
them. 'Course, even though I'm pretty mild mannered I have been known to get really aggressive in situations where I've felt that loved ones were threatened, so maybe that's just *my* initial reaction.
If anyone threatened my daughter, I probably wouldn't kill them (unless I had absolutely no other choice)...but I would disable them.
Here is a key problem. Most gun control supporters work from this premise. It has nothing to do with whether owning a gun is necessary. It is a Constitutional right. Gun control advocates may not think a gun is necessary but frankly what they think is unimportant. Do I need a gun? No. I want one so I have one. Determing necessisty with gun ownership is impossible.
"I have determined that no one needs steak knives. I am a vegitarian (not) so the need for steak knives are an unnecessary risk to our children, after all they could open the kitchen drawer".
"I have determined that no one needs guns. I have alarm systems, dogs and good locks so the need for guns are an unnecessary risk to our children, after all they could open the safe, break the cable lock, find the clip, find the bullets, load the clip, load the gun, remove the safety, and pull the trigger."
Uh huh...love gun control laws...
Ok. I was just curious, more so out of the context of this conversation. I remember one instance where I was taking a walk with my son (who wasn't the most quick or steady on his newly learned legs at that age) around my apartment complex and some jerk came barreling down the drive at about 50 without any sign of slowing down and I had to scoop my son up and jump onto the curb. While we were fine, if I hadn't acted quickly my son would have been a hood ornament, I think. Man, it was all I could do not to hunt that person's car down and pound they're head in. LOL See what I mean about agressive?
You have my sympathy. When the state is more interested in protecting criminals than protecting homeowners and their families, something is definately wrong.
"Fine...but you have to get to where the security box is stored."
That's one of the great things about these cases, they're made to be mounted practically anywhere... on a bed frame, inside or underneath an end-table, etc. Wherever you spend time and want secure access it can generally be accomodated.
"And what happens if it's stored in your bedroom and you're in the kitchen, or livingroom, or garage, when the 'intruder' enters? Or do you have a gun stored in every room?"
As I noted before, a firearm for defense is a deterrent and defensive tool, not a proof against being victimized. Either carry it with you or have it stored somewhere convenient to most point in the house. (Sorry I didn't respond humorously to your wink, but I'm too tired to put the necessary thought into being clever. I'll make it up to you later. :~O yawn...)
~mark~
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