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Legal Articles

By attorney Lisa J. Steele

• Aftermath of a Shooting - Miranda


• Aftermath of a Shooting - Finding and Hiring Counsel


• Aftermath of a Shooting - Arrest to the Start of Trial


• Aftermath of a Shooting - Trial and Post-Conviction


• Ballistics (Chapter 1 in "Science for Lawyers")


• Defending the Self-Defense Case


• Owning and Carrying Non-Firearm Weapons


• When Can a Prosecutor Use my Life Against Me in a Self-Defense Trial?

By attorney Karen MacNutt

• ATF Gun Traces, A Different View


• Concealed Carry


• Cops and Robbers


• The Law of War


• Reflections on the Status of Women


• Some of My Favorite Things


• Terrorism


• Vigilance


• Will Freedom Endure?


• Navigating the Alligators


• Attack of the Lawyers


• Be Careful What You Ask For (What disqualifies gunowners?)


• Legal Check List


• Concealed Carry


• Duty to Protect


• Estate Planning of Special Concern to Gunowners


• Fat Old Broad Syndrome


• You Have the Right, But ...


• Lautenberg Revisited (Restraining orders, loss of gun rights)


• Leaping before Looking (Traveling with guns)


• A Little Knowledge ...


• A Locked Case


• Misplaced Modifier


• Posted: No Firearms Allowed


• Lethal Presumption (The Cornel Young case)

Success Stories

If you are like most people, you don't know any woman who has used a gun to protect herself. This makes it very easy to fall into the trap of believing that such incidents don't happen, or that they are incredibly rare.

But, according to authorities such as Prof. Gary Kleck of Florida State University, guns are used for defense about 3 to 5 times more often than they are used in crimes. A wide range of different surveys puts the number of defensive gun uses at between 777,000 and 3 million per year. Surely some of these defensive situations must involve women. Why don't we hear their stories?

One reason is that stories that "make the news" on TV in newspapers almost always involve someone being shot, and in well over 90% of defensive gun uses, the gun is never fired. This is extremely good news for the person with the gun, because it is terrible to have to shoot someone, but it means that most media outlets never hear about such incidents or, if they do, they don't consider them newsworthy. Consequently, these stories are never heard.

Another reason is that stories that do have enough impact to make the news tend to be fleeting, and if you miss it, you never get a chance to see it again. And a third reason is that many stories are reported without giving the name of the person involved, making it difficult to contact people to find out more about what happened to them.

For some years, Lyn Bates, the Vice President of AWARE, has also been a contributing editor to Women&Guns magazine. Some of her articles have appeared in a series called Lessons in Reality, each of which tells the story of a woman who has successfully defended herself using a firearm. Those stories are archived here. (If you have a success story of your own, or know someone who does, please let us know by contacting AWARE.)

Why not include success stories that involve other methods of self-protection? Frankly, stories about other methods are fairly easily available from other sources; one of AWARE's unique contributions to the discussion about women's safety is our in-depth knowledge of firearms and the people who use them.

Be warned that some of these stories may be shocking and difficult to read because of the level of violence involved. They were also written for an audience of women who already have some familiarity with firearms. Nonetheless, many people have said that they find these stories inspiring, because they prove that, in the right hands, firearms can be lifesavers.

• He Grabbed for her Gun   What if someone tries to grab your gun?


• Small Town, Big Surprise   A widow faces a home intruder alone.


• Chronologically Gifted Protect Themselves   Guns assist senior citizens.


• Love Gone Wrong   She had to shoot her boyfriend with the gun he urged her to buy.


• His Word Against Mine   A female doctor against a security system installer.


• Jean's Story   A parking lot encounter with a man who might be wanted for rape and murder; lots of lessons here.


• January 1st, 2000   The night of Y2K, a grandmother finds a surprise in her office.


• Bitches with Guns   An interstate highway rest stop encounter.


• Anti-gun Mom Turned Survivor   Susan Gonzalez, a self-described "scardy cat," faces invaders in her own home.


• A Terrible Place for a Gunfight   A convenience store robbery turns deadly.


• Attempted Murder has No Conclusion (Yet)   A domestic abuse survivor tells her story.


• The Second Time   The same woman is a rape survivor, and a rape attempt survivor.


• Single Mom Survives...Twice   A woman trying to help a rape victim is attacked.


• I'd Rather Be Dead Than Raped   A woman shoots a would-be rapist, with his own gun.

Self-Defense, Lethal Force

• Excessive Force?   Do shots in the back imply excessive force?


• Alternatives to Lethal Force: A Phaser Set on Stun?   Less-than-lethal weapons.


• Gun Safety and Self Defense   How to avoid shooting the wrong person.


• We are Not Vigilantes   Defend yourself against this accusation.


• The 10 Dumbest Things People Say about Using Guns for Self-Defense   A self-explanatory title.


• The Gray Area . . . Does Every Bad Guy With a Gun Need to be Shot?   Some situations where you should not pull the trigger.


• Critical Incident Reactions - What if I Freeze?   Many people fear this.


• Why Learn About Guns, If You Aren't Sure You Could Kill Someone?   Knowledge first, then decision.


• When Can You Shoot? (part 1)   The fundamental rules of using lethal force.


• When Can You Shoot? (part 2)   In two parts.


• Use of Force Quiz   Bad things can happen in the dark.

Specifically Women

• Carrying while Carrying   Advice for pregnant women.


• Your First Time: A Survey   First time carrying a gun, that is.


• Murder and the Reasonable Woman   Legal prof Cynthia Lee suggests changes to help abuse victims.


• Serial Rapist on the Loose   Wake-up call for women in my safe suburban neighborhood.


• Differences Between Men and Women Regarding Concealed Carry   Aren't you curious about this?.


• Guns in Purses - Yes or No?   Pros and cons of a very common practice.


• If You Are Being Stalked...    Lots of info about stalkers and their victims.


• Stalking and Guns   Surprising information from a government report about what stalking victims do.


• Defending Ourselves as We Mature   Especially for senior citizens.

Tactics & Techniques

• Attention: No More Tunnel Vision   Our attention during a crisis affects our other abilities.


• Foiling a Carjacking   How to keep control of your wheels.


• The One Best Tactical Rule   A shortcut for tactical planning.


• Shoot and Move, or Move and Shoot?   Which should you do first, and why?


• It's a Cinch Not to Flinch   Does flinching plague your shooting?   Here are some ways to cure it.


• Where Do You Aim?   Where should you aim if shooting in self-defense?


• What Would You Do If ...?   Someone wants to steal your purse, which contains your gun.


• No Light? No Problem!   Many attacks happen at night.


• Two Fingers are Not Better than One   Heavy revolver triggers can be dangerous.


• It Was a Dark and Rainy Night   Bad things can happen in the dark.


• Knife Attack!   Knives can be as lethal as guns.


• How to Get Some Courage   Everyone could use a little more.

Permission Statement

The documents in this archive are copyrighted by the author. You may use, copy, and distribute it for academic, research, educational, and personal-use purposes only, without a fee, provided that:

1. The above copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies, and
2. The author's, AWARE's and/or Women&Guns' names may not be used in any advertising or publicity relating to this document without the specific, prior, written permission of the author, and
3. That no changes are made in this document. You may quote reasonable excerpts from this document provided the quotes do not misrepresent the author's position and both proper credit and citation are given.

If you wish to distribute or use this work in any way other than mentioned above, you must email info@aware.org for prior permission.

By using or copying this document, you agree to abide by the copyright law and all other applicable laws of the U.S.

Possession and/or ownership of firearms is subject to various federal, state, and local restrictions. Those restrictions are subject to frequent change. It is your obligation to insure that you know the current law(s) that applies to you before buying, carrying, or using a firearm. Buying, carrying, or using a firearm without compliance with those laws is a crime and could result in criminal prosecution.. It is your legal responsibility to learn and obey the laws that apply in your area.

Neither the authors, AWARE and/or Women&Guns suggest that anyone purchase, maintain or use a firearm for any unlawful reason. We write expressly for the individual who uses many resources to explore the safety, moral, and legal issues surrounding firearms ownership and use.

Opinions expressed by the authors herein are not necessarily those of any organization. Articles cannot explore every aspect of a given topic; therefore, the reader is advised to consult local legal and law enforcement authorities for further information and clarification. Neither the author nor the publisher(s) are responsible for mishaps of any nature which might occur based on information, opinions, or recommendations contained herein.