After Parkland,*RED FLAG LAWS* Double in States to Remove Guns from Dangerous Persons

In the four months since a mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school, the number of states with so-called red flag laws has doubled, expanding the ability of courts around the nation to temporarily remove guns from people who are found to be dangerous. Amid a reinvigorated debate about firearms in the U.S., the most recent state legislative sessions have delivered a resounding win for gun safety groups, who see red flag laws as a critical legal tool to get firearms away from potentially violent people before they can use them to harm themselves or others.

In most states, a person must be convicted of specific crimes before losing his or her right to possess firearms, even if the behavior sets off alarm bells. In Florida, the young man charged in the Parkland high school deaths had a history of making threats and even bringing bullets to school before the attack. Though local police were made aware of his disturbing behavior, without criminal charges and a conviction, they had no legal remedy to disarm him.



Red flag laws seek to close that loophole. Under a typical red flag law, concerned parties, most often law enforcement officers or family members, can ask courts to temporarily remove guns from a person who is showing signs of violence. If a judge finds sufficient evidence that the individual is dangerous, a “gun violence restraining order” or “extreme risk protection order” can be issued, which would require the person to remain away from all guns for a period of time. Judges can also authorize police to immediately confiscate firearms in the individual’s possession.

Before the Feb. 14 massacre in Parkland, only five states ― California, Washington, Oregon, Indiana and Connecticut ― had red flag laws on the books. Florida, Vermont, Maryland, Rhode Island and New Jersey have since joined their ranks, often with bipartisan support from legislators. Notably, three Republican governors have signed recent bills into law. A bill in Illinois is awaiting final approval from the governor, also a Republican, and a handful of states appear poised to consider such laws before the end of the legislative session. Another sign of the growing momentum for red flag laws: Texas could be among the next states to consider legislation, after the governor, a Republican with an A rating from the National Rifle Association, called for a study on the initiative in the wake of the May school shooting in Santa Fe, south of Houston.
Gun safety advocates say the policies have emerged as a rare point of agreement between the parties as politicians face aggressive calls to respond to a string of bloody mass shootings and other gun violence...Read More, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/wave-of-red-flag-gun-laws-shows-power-of-the-parkland-effect/ar-AAyIQTT

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/05/24/unlike-many-gun-measures-red-flag-laws-are-actually-passing-looks-likes-mass-will-next/hSHxHWx0vckxMwr0rv7FEO/story.html
>10 States now have 'RED FLAG' Laws, with more possibilities (IL, MA, TX): CA, WA, OR, IN, CT, FL, VT, MD, RI, NJ.



Protesters rally outside the Florida Capitol on Feb. 21 to urge state lawmakers to reform gun laws a week after a mass shooting killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.