St. Louis judges setting bonds to fight gun violence

Judges here are trying to help get illegal guns off the streets by setting higher bonds for those who are caught with them.

Criminal Assignment Judge John Garvey and Associate Circuit Court Judge Barbara Peebles, who see defendants on first appearances and who set the bonds when prosecutors file charges, say they hope word of the higher bonds will spread on the street and serve as a warning to those who are carrying guns illegally.

"Things that were settled ten years ago with fists are now being settled with guns," Garvey said. "When you don't have a permit, and you're carrying that gun on the street, I see you as a potential shooter."

Before, defendants who came in with an unlawful use of a weapons charge normally would be able to post ten percent of a $30,000 or $50,000 bond. But for the past few weeks, Garvey and Peebles have set them as cash-only bonds, requiring the full amount.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_b93cedac-8e13-11e0-880a-001a4bcf6878.html

Good for them. I get so sick of reading of criminals brought in for murder or shootings and you read they were out on bond & it was a gun charge.

Don't let the DA drop the weapons charge just to get a conviction on another lesser charge either. That's why there are so many violent criminals on the streets.

It's time for those who oppose firearms to admit that banning and confiscation are lost causes and that far more could be accomplished by ending the harassment of honest gun owners.

The tiny incremental steps to eventually achieving the goal of disarming citizens has proven to be a failure and has completely many alienated gun owners to even very reasonable improvements to existing laws.

There are no "illegal firearms". When you repeat that phrase, you are buying into Anti framing.

There is illegal ownership and unlawful possesion. And that is the correct terminology.

Yeah, pedantry, I'm guilty. Still getting my coffee infusion on.

You do make a good point.

Good idea! Sounds like the sort of thing a pro-RKBA advocate would suggest...

For a change some officials are operating within the framework of existing law. Their objectives are commendable and I say bravo to their efforts.


On a side note, I notice some conspicuous absences in this thread.

:sarcasm:

When they set bonds as a percent of your liquid assets and not an arbitrary dollar figure, then I'll believe this is about anything other than punishing the poor.