Should I get my CHL??

[Chuck nasty]

I live in Houston and Im want to get my CHL. A lot of people I have been talking to are telling me that if you have a CHL an you do have to defend yourself and you do shoot someone that they try to prosecute you even more. I signed up for a class Friday. If anyone can help I would appreciate it. Thanks for your time

[C-dub]

Welcome to the forum Chuck Nasty.

Do any of those people you've been talking to actually have a CHL? I hope not, because apparently they didn't learn very much. You cannot be prosecuted any more or less because of the CHL. In fact, the information you should learn in class in addition to what you could learn here might help you avoid having shooting someone.

[Chuck nasty]

Come to think about it none of them had a CHL. Regardless I'm taking the class Friday. Thanks for the reply

[cbunt1]

Welcome to the forum, Chuck. Yes, go get the CHL. That' always my recommendation. Then if for some reason you decide not to carry a gun, you have made the decision based on the fact that you CAN, but choose not to.

Besides, the alternative dispute resolution section of the course, even though some find it boring, is well worth the price of admission--it's a useful life skill whether you carry a gun or not.

[C-dub]

Come to think about it none of them had a CHL. Regardless I'm taking the class Friday. Thanks for the reply

The information you will learn in the class is vital to anyone that has a firearm and plans on using it for self defense whether they have a CHL or not. The same goes for participation on this forum.

[jeffrw]

I have heard things like this. A friend of mine was reluctant to get his CHL because he said that CHL holders are held to a higher degree of accountability (i.e. may be judged more harshly if they use their weapon improperly). He even mentioned that there was a case where a prosecutor argued that the very act of getting the CHL implied premeditation. I don't know if that's true or not, and of course the argument sounds ludicrous to me.

Even if some of this is true, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. It resolves a lot of ambiguity about borderline situations where you might or might not be okay to carry as a non-CHL. (e.g. I arrive home in my driveway and am carrying concealed pursuant to the Motorist Protection Act (MPA). Is it okay for me to walk out to the center of my cul-de-sac to get the mail before going into my house? Without a CHL, maybe not. With a CHL it's clearly okay.) A CHL also eliminates the need to disarm before you step out of your vehicle to fill up with gas, go into the mall, etc. How many times have we heard of people getting robbed at gas stations, parking lots, etc.? I'd rather not be one of these statistics.

Another ambiguity that a CHL resolves relates to the "Gun Free School Zone Act". If you're carrying in your vehicle pursuant to the MPA, but you drive within 1000 feet of a school, you have technically committed a federal felony. This law, of course, is ridiculous because in many areas it's pretty much impossible not to pass within 1000 feet of a school property line just driving around town. My understanding is that most local law enforcement are not that concerned with enforcing it unless you're already up to no good (e.g. dealing drugs near a school and packing heat at the same time). But still, if you get stopped for doing 5 mph over in a school zone and are carrying in your car as a non-CHL, and the cop is having a bad day or just wants to be a jerk, you might be going for a ride. However, if you have a Texas CHL, you're exempt from this as long as you're in Texas. (Carrying into school buildings and onto the actual grounds where school-sponsored functions are taking place is still forbidden, though.)

Also, there is the issue of dealing with law enforcement, traffic stops, etc. Each LEO is different, but on average people seem to report that CHL holders get hassled less because LEOs recognize you as one of the "good guys". It's not a "get out of jail free" card and it's not a license to drive as fast as you want without getting ticketed. But still, I have heard of instances where that piece of plastic seemed to smooth things over (e.g. "Okay, Mr. XXXX, just slow down, drive carefully, and have a nice day.")

[Thomas]

I have heard things like this. A friend of mine was reluctant to get his CHL because he said that CHL holders are held to a higher degree of accountability (i.e. may be judged more harshly if they use their weapon improperly). He even mentioned that there was a case where a prosecutor argued that the very act of getting the CHL implied premeditation. I don't know if that's true or not, and of course the argument sounds ludicrous to me.

Agreed, that sounds ludicrous. All you have to do is ask him for the name of the case or the case number and which court it happened in.

As for being "held to a higher degree of accountability", I believe that is true in the sense that they are perceived as being more accountable/responsible. IMO, that does not automatically correlate with being "judged more harshly".

[The Annoyed Man]

I live in Houston and Im want to get my CHL. A lot of people I have been talking to are telling me that if you have a CHL an you do have to defend yourself and you do shoot someone that they try to prosecute you even more. I signed up for a class Friday. If anyone can help I would appreciate it. Thanks for your time

Those people don't know what they're talking about.

Rule number 1 about getting information about CHL: don't listen to people who don't have one. They truly don't know what they are talking about, and most of them have never even read the laws involved.

Rule number 2 about getting information about CHL: don't listen to half of the people who do have one, unless they are a member of this board, because they haven't really bothered to learn what they're about, and they've forgotten most what they learned in class.

Rule number 3 about getting information about CHL: don't listen to most attorneys unless they actually have practice experience in this area of the law.........and they have a CHL.

Rule number 4 about getting information about CHL: even if your pretty sure that the cop is an ignorant fool, nod pleasantly, say "yes sir, no sir," and do what he tells you to do. (My experience is that this will not be an issue in most cases.)

[Chuck nasty]

Thanks everyone. That helped me out a lot. Glad I found this board. 9am Friday I will be in the class. Again thanks for the help.

[Teamless]

want to get my CHL

there are no 'bad' legal issues with having a CHL,
I encourage anyone who can legally possess a firearm and who can qualify for a CHL to get one.
if as others above have said, just to learn the laws and use your Constitutional 2nd amendment rights

[WildBill]

want to get my CHL

there are no 'bad' legal issues with having a CHL,
I encourage anyone who can legally possess a firearm and who can qualify for a CHL to get one.
if as others above have said, just to learn the laws and use your Constitutional 2nd amendment rights

Well said.

[ScooterSissy]

Come to think about it none of them had a CHL. Regardless I'm taking the class Friday. Thanks for the reply

The folks that don't have a CHL, and don't want others to get one, are usually the best experts on the subject. Just ask 'em, they'll tell you. WhoWouldaThunkIt?

[n5wmk]

By now you should have completed your class, and I hope you came away as impressed with what you learned as I did in mine. Without a doubt, this was one of the best classes that I have taken in my life (and I've taken many). It caused me to *think*!

[smoothoperator]

Two questions for Chuck.
1. What did you think of your CHL class today?
2. Does your family own a restaurant?

[RHenriksen]

Yes, how did your class go?