The Law And Self Defense

You may have heard news stories about people who defended their lives or properties, only to be charged with crimes themselves. This does happen, and it is important to know to what lengths one can go in their own self defense.

If you kill someone who is entering your property, but not putting your life at risk, you will most likely be charged with murder or manslaughter. It has happened. The law is this: You are allowed to use non-deadly force in the act of defending yourself. Note the word "non-deadly."

This does not mean that you cannot use deadly or lethal force if you feel that your life is in danger, however. The law states that anytime a "faultless" victim feels that unlawful force may be used to cause his or her death, he or she may use lethal force in their self-defense.

The problem is that you must be able to prove that this was the situation later, in a court of law, and that is not always possible, and while the United States has the best legal system in the world, it is not always just.

The best way to protect yourself against both the criminals and the laws is to always be prepared to defend yourself with non-lethal force. Remember that the major rule in self-defense is to get away from the situation or person who is putting you in danger or jeopardy.

This means that if you knock your assailant down, and render him unconscious, and then proceed to kick him to death, you have broken the law, and you will be charged. Whereas if you knocked him down, rendered him unconscious, and then ran away to seek safety, you are perfectly within the law.

Of course, even in this instance, if you cause bodily harm to your assailant, he could always decide to sue you for damages in civil court at a later date. It has happened, and our legal system makes it absolutely possible for the assailant to win!

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