 
Lodgedodger
Member
Username: Lodgedodger
Post Number: 993
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 5:14 pm: |    |
BY CHRISTY ARBOSCELLO AND NAOMI PATTON • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS • November 29, 2008
Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Craig Strong shot at three men suspected of robbing his home at 7:15 p.m. today on the 1700 block of Seminole in Detroit’s Indian Village, police said.
Strong came home to find the men inside his house. He shot at them with his own gun and chased them outside. Police said it’s unclear if he hit any of the men. They ran off. A television was left on Strong’s lawn and nothing else was missing from the house, police said.
It was not immediately known if Strong’s weapon is registered, police said.
------------------------------ --
I hope it's registered and I hope he doesn't get into trouble for shooting at these guys. |
Brandon48202
Member
Username: Brandon48202
Post Number: 250
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 6:52 pm: | |
These guys chose the wrong house to rob! |
Lodgedodger
Member
Username: Lodgedodger
Post Number: 998
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 7:05 pm: | |
I often wonder, if the same were to happen to me, how would I react?
Would I be paralyzed with fear? Would I be so angry that I would start throwing things at them?
Maybe the judge had enough of the bs. |
Eastburn
Member
Username: Eastburn
Post Number: 560
Registered: 03-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 7:13 pm: | |
If it was one of us, we might well have been arrested.
There's no mention of the robbers threatening him. In order to use deadly force, a "reasonable person" must feel he is at risk of death or serious bodily harm.
Will be interesting to see how this pans out. |
Daddeeo
Member
Username: Daddeeo
Post Number: 316
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 7:13 pm: | |
Who would convict the judge of anything in this case? |
Salvadordelmundo
Member
Username: Salvadordelmundo
Post Number: 126
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 8:09 pm: | |
Sounds like he needs some time at the range, to improve the accuracy of his shots. |
Eriedearie
Member
Username: Eriedearie
Post Number: 4107
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 8:33 pm: | |
I find anyone in my house without my prior knowledge - I shoot first (aiming for the lower extremities), and ask questions later. Simple as that.
Yay Judge! |
Bobl
Member
Username: Bobl
Post Number: 234
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 9:14 pm: | |
"Police said it’s unclear if he hit any of the men. They ran off."
...And you can bet that they found someone else's property to steal, probably the same day, unless one was wounded. Then, he will have been treated for free at the hospital (paid for by you and I).
After this subsidy, he will again be out thieving.
You did nothing wrong, Judge Strong. |
Ct_alum
Member
Username: Ct_alum
Post Number: 34
Registered: 10-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 9:16 pm: | |
Just going to "wing 'em" Eriedearie? Good luck with that! BTW you cannot use deadly force if someone is just taking your property.
Judge Strong might have some 'splainin to do if the gun is not registered, regardless of the circumstances under which it was used. Not that anything will happen to him, though. |
Bobl
Member
Username: Bobl
Post Number: 235
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 9:26 pm: | |
Ct: Technically, you are correct. Realistically, if I came home to find three strangers in my home, I would be in fear for my life. I would shoot, then explain my fear immediately to the police when they respond.
E: There is no time for the average person to "aim for the lower extremities". The heart would be pounding and adrenalin rushing. The time spent composing oneself and aiming could result in being beaten to the draw. There is no such thing as a "fair fight" when guns are involved. |
Ct_alum
Member
Username: Ct_alum
Post Number: 35
Registered: 10-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 9:42 pm: | |
Bobl: The law is full of "technicalities".
Check out one of the posts in the Freep article associated with this event. A relative of the poster basically did what you are proposing.....he gets out of prison in 2033. I guess the police/prosecutor didn't buy his explanation.
I'm not saying that you're not right (technically) in taking your position, but you have to realize that there is a very great risk that you will be treated much differently than Judge Strong will be, especially if you fall into the clutches of the 36th District Court, where anything can happen and usually does. |
Kathinozarks
Member
Username: Kathinozarks
Post Number: 1723
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 9:45 pm: | |
I always wonder what makes people want to live in huge, expensive homes in the middle of Detroit. Seems like thieves, etc. would just be waiting at the ends of the streets for the residents to drive away from their homes. You know that the residents would have all kinds of great stuff to take. I would feel like a sitting duck living in Indian Village. |
Lodgedodger
Member
Username: Lodgedodger
Post Number: 1007
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 9:48 pm: | |
Kath, those homes are gorgeous. There's no wondering why... *hug* |
Softailrider
Member
Username: Softailrider
Post Number: 236
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 9:53 pm: | |
If it was one of average citizens we would have stood a way better chance of being arrested for discharging a weapon within city limits . Interesting to see if they're going to charge the judge with that or anything else in this.
That being said i'm totally on the side of the judge. if somebody breaks into my house and I'm home, the intruder's in for a big surprise . |
Kathinozarks
Member
Username: Kathinozarks
Post Number: 1724
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 10:04 pm: | |
Oh, I know Lodge. I have dreams all the time where I am living in a mansion.
Thanks for the hug! |
Lefty2
Member
Username: Lefty2
Post Number: 2967
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 10:10 pm: | |
Grandholmes signed a law where you can kill a scumbag inside your home.
I wish more sane people would blow away the home invaders. |
Lefty2
Member
Username: Lefty2
Post Number: 2968
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 10:11 pm: | |
does anyone know Willy O who used to pass out beer to marathoners in the village? |
Pete
Member
Username: Pete
Post Number: 118
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 10:28 pm: | |
I know of an instance recently where an intruder entered a woman's home, she announced to him from upstairs that he should leave or else she was going to get her gun, she went and got her gun, he hadn't left, so she shot and killed him. He was given ample time to leave. The police/prosecutors had no issue with what she did. She has not been right since.
So, to "wish for more sane people to blow away the home invaders" is to wish for some very sane people to be driven toward insanity because of the baggage that killing a person carries. To bloviate about how "if somebody breaks into my house and I'm home, the intruder's in for a big surprise," is one thing, but to go ahead and kill that person is quite another.
Nothing is going to happen to this judge. The law is on his side. I doubt that there is even going to be an investigation into the judge's actions. |
Thecarl
Member
Username: Thecarl
Post Number: 1487
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 11:00 pm: | |
laws have changed in michigan; we are now a "castle doctrine" state (as defined in wikipedia):
quote:A Castle Doctrine (also known as a Castle Law or a Defense of Habitation Law) is an American legal concept derived from English Common Law, which designates one's place of residence (or, in some states, any place legally occupied, such as one's car or place of work) as a place in which one enjoys protection from illegal trespassing and violent attack. It then goes on to give a person the legal right to use deadly force to defend that place (his/her "castle"), and/or any other innocent persons legally inside it, from violent attack or an intrusion which may lead to violent attack. In a legal context, therefore, use of deadly force which actually results in death may be defended as justifiable homicide under the Castle Doctrine.
greater protection has been given to armed citizens in michigan, and they are provided immunity from civil action if lethal force is deemed to have been used in self defense. in other words, if a person shoots and kills an assailant, and the action is deemed to be justifiable, that person cannot be sued for damages.
as far as the judge needing registration for his firearm - shotguns and rifles require no registration in michigan, or any paperwork whatsoever. i don't know if the judge used a pistol - but technically, pistols are not registered - they are submitted by the owner within a defined period, after purchase, for a "safety inspection." lists of gun owners are not to be kept, owing to the notion that constitutional rights could be abridged by a government getting lists of gun owners and demanding surrender of their weapons. |
Eriedearie
Member
Username: Eriedearie
Post Number: 4109
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 11:12 pm: | |
Well - I'll just say I'd TRY to aim for the lower extremities - where the robber ends up getting a hole in his bad self would be anybody's guess.
If a robber thinks my stuff is fair game - then I think his stuff is fair game! |
Lodgedodger
Member
Username: Lodgedodger
Post Number: 1012
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 11:26 pm: | |
Amen, Erie! |
Thecarl
Member
Username: Thecarl
Post Number: 1488
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 11:32 pm: | |
erie, self-defense situations happen so quickly, with adrenalin pumping - often in low lighting, with moving targets, obstacles, and great chance for collateral damage. you might not get an opportunity to pick a non-lethal shot. more likely, you will resort to training, and aim for the chest - the best area to place a shot and put the bad guy down. too bad we even have to think about stuff like this. |
Eriedearie
Member
Username: Eriedearie
Post Number: 4112
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 11:41 pm: | |
I know Thecarl - it is too bad we have to think about what we would do in such a situation. It's getting to be like the old west everywhere.
We have to be on high alert even in our homes. I remember when we didn't lock our doors at night. Now you come in the house and lock the door and bolt it even in the daytime.
Regardless, I'll be defending my Alamo! |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 6474
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008 - 12:14 am: | |
I'm for all types of gun control, but when it comes to the protection of ones' home, I'm all for anyone being able to legally use handguns for that protection, but only on one's property. That is, I wouldn't be for a homeowner trying to run down and gun down a thief once they get past your property line, but that doesn't seem to be the case, here.
BTW, for disclosure, Craig is a family member of mine; an older cousin a generation or two above me that I've only seen a few times. I too hope the firearm was registered, and I can't imagine why it wouldn't be. |
Bobl
Member
Username: Bobl
Post Number: 236
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008 - 12:46 am: | |
Ct: You are correct. There is no way to predict the actions of 36th District Court. However, I will shoot if confronted bv intruders in my home. I will then explain that I was in fear of my life to the police. No more statements until an attorney is present. The "excited utterance" will be admissible, and there will be nothing else for the public defender of the thief (if he is alive), or an overeager prosecutor, to latch onto. |
Billybbrew
Member
Username: Billybbrew
Post Number: 366
Registered: 07-2005
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008 - 12:51 am: | |
I read the story on clickondetroit.com at about 8pm and they were reporting that the gun was registered. |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 6476
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008 - 1:05 am: | |
The whole question of the gun's legality seemed kind of odd to me. It seems that it's very rarely ever brought up in other incidents. It would seem to be that either the Freep reporter is either exceptionally thorough, or was trying to implicate someone without waiting to get the facts back about the question of registration. It just seemed kind of odd. |
Thecarl
Member
Username: Thecarl
Post Number: 1489
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008 - 1:05 am: | |
again, to clarify here - it is no longer necessary in the state of michigan to claim "imminent fear of grievous bodily harm, or loss of life," to use deadly force. having your home or vehicle breached is reasonable cause. additionally, you cannot be sued if use of deadly force is deemed justifiable under the above language. being absolved in the criminal system waives your liability for civil charges, automatically.
and again, the concept of "registered" firearms is contorted here. in the state of michigan, long guns - shotguns and rifles - are not registered. handguns are not registered either, per se - they are only submitted to local authorities for a safety inspection.
lmich, and a few others, take a minute to educate yourselves on recent legislation regarding gun possession, and the castle doctrine. granholm has been behind michigan becoming, along with florida, a state with very liberal gun ownership and self-defense laws. |
Lmichigan
Member
Username: Lmichigan
Post Number: 6477
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008 - 2:45 am: | |
I'm not exactly sure why you specifically called me out by name. I'm aware of the castle doctrine. |
Softailrider
Member
Username: Softailrider
Post Number: 237
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008 - 5:50 am: | |
" Safety inspection" sounds an awful lot like registeration to me . The ATF can check and find out how many guns you've had safety inspected. |
Huggybear
Member
Username: Huggybear
Post Number: 346
Registered: 08-2005
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008 - 7:50 am: | |
Don't kid yourself.
It definitely is registration, unless you think the serial number of a gun is somehow relevant to safety (except maybe, in a broader sense, public safety). Anyone ever see any local police department do anything during one of these "safety inspections" other than simply read the S/N and manufacturer? Does state law even define what a "safety inspection" is?
That said, I understand that in the old days in Detroit, after you waited a year to get a permit to buy a pistol (including being fingerprinted and having everything sent to the FBI by mail), they would then take the gun for several weeks so they could make a ballistic imprint. If anything, the passage of the Brady Bill has made things less obtrusive for Detroiters. |
Danny
Member
Username: Danny
Post Number: 7985
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008 - 9:05 am: | |
The robbers didn't know that was the judge's Indian Village home they are robbing. When a crook robs a house, its a house doesn't matter what shape or size. Just don't get caught.
Word from the Street Prophet
Our economic recession will lead to a rise in violent crime. |
Supersport
Member
Username: Supersport
Post Number: 11889
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008 - 10:03 am: | |
Perhaps if the anti-gun crowd realized just how often these incidences happen in the city they wouldn't be so quick to say hand guns should be banned.
Only reason the paper reported this one is because a judge was involved, and they figure the readers will simply assume "Yeah, only reason this guy didn't get arrested because he is a judge." Why do people believe that? The papers seldom report the bad guys getting shot by the innocent person, not enough to sell papers I guess.
Now what you CAN'T do is track the B&E guys down in your own vehicle and riddle their car with bullets, as one B&E victim and their buddy did a few weeks ago. This person was in fact brought in and charged. |
_sj_
Member
Username: _sj_
Post Number: 2823
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2008 - 10:20 am: | |
As they should since once you use excessive force you are no longer the scared one, you are now the aggressor. |