Citation

Kates DB, Cramer CE. Hastings Law J. 2009; 60(6): 1339-1369.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Hastings College of Law)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Criminological studies which identify perpetrator characteristics are unanimous in finding that almost all murderers fall into three categories: (I) the mentally disturbed, and/or (2) adults with criminal records, and/or (3) juveniles with juvenile records. Many murder perpetrators exhibit two or all three characteristics. Thus laws such as the ones Heller invalidated that seek to disarm the general population have minimal value and deprive victims of the means of self-defense. The Second Amendment does not guarantee: (i) weapons of indiscriminate destructiveness such as cannons, (2) any right of violent felons or of other felons whom legislatures reasonably identify as likely to misuse weapons.