A small triumph with local news

[ZeSpectre]

Boy I wish I'd saved how this article read when first posted. Anyway I called them on the carpet over it and they went back and re-wrote and re-posted the article and now it reads like this (they changed wording slightly and added the "bold" parts).

Essentially it initially read...

A Senate committee has once again killed legislation authorizing the use of deadly force in the home.

For the last two years the House has passed similar bills, but the Senate Courts of Justice Committee has shot them down. The committee made it three in a row Monday with a vote to pass the bill by indefinitely, effectively killing it for the year.

Senators said they knew of no criminal prosecutions dealing with the use of deadly force in the home, so they felt there was no need for the legislation.

I wrote them clarifying the point that the law wasn't to "authorize deadly force" but to protect from civil lawsuits after the fact. They printed the revised version now online.

http://www.whsv.com/home/headlines/15737317.html

Deadly Force Bill Killed
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)
Last Updated: 2:27 PM Feb 18, 2008

A Senate committee has once again killed legislation authorizing the use of deadly force against anyone who breaks into a home and physically threatens the occupant.

For the last two years the House has passed similar bills, but the Senate Courts of Justice Committee has shot them down. The committee made it three in a row Monday with a vote to pass the bill by indefinitely, effectively killing it for the year.

Henrico County Delegate Bill Janis' bill would have provided civil immunity to residents who kill intruders. The House passed it 80-19.

Senators said they knew of no civil lawsuits or criminal prosecutions dealing with the use of deadly force against intruders, so they felt there was no need for the legislation.

Still not quite right, but it's an improvement and I'll take what victory I can get!

 

[chris in va]

A Senate committee has once again killed legislation authorizing the use of deadly force against anyone who breaks into a home and physically threatens the occupant.

I'm a little thick. So they were trying to pass a law allowing the use of deadly force in the home. I thought we were already allowed to...?

I'm confused.

 

[tinygnat219]

We are still allowed to use deadly force in the home. In fact, VA's existing laws on that are pretty good. This would have just made it illegal for someone, or someone's family to sue in civil court.

This was to protect the homeowner from the burglar who was shot illegallly entering the homeowner's home and then suing the homeowner for medical expenses and pay from "missed work".

 

[Coronach]

So...what is your legal question?