So, in my story "A Charmed Life," I referenced a Massachusetts State Law (MGL Chapter 278, Section 8a) which allows you to defend yourself against an intruder without allowing the commonwealth to come after you.
What do the laws in your state/country allow you to do, if anything?
The 'Castle Doctrine' is a part of English common law — "A Man's Home is his castle" (read about Semayne's case). This is the source of statutory law in the United States, which varies widely, state to state.
The idea goes back further, at least to the Roman Republic, and similar doctrines existed in China from at least the Han dynasty.
It is referred to as the Castle Doctrine. For more info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine
I'm somewhat familiar with the Castle Doctrine, especially the name, but I'm mainly interested in how far folks are allowed to go with this doctrine... I am curious how it varies from place to place...
If you go to the link I gave, it specifies the differences from state to state. It also gives some foreign coverage.
Oh, okay, thank you. (Sorry, I usually don't follow links because I tend to get lost in the link rabbit hole...)
Castle Doctrine does not apply in Canada. If someone breaks into your house, bangs your wife and shoots the dog, and you try to defend yourself, you'll go to jail and the criminal will walk. And we just re-elected the idiots that made that type of action a law. Can some state in America please adopt the Western provinces? We have oil.
One thing that I do know, is (in most jurisdictions) you can't make TRAPS to defend against intruders.
One thing that I do know, is (in most jurisdictions) you can't make TRAPS to defend against intruders.
Can you go to a gay bar and employ a few instead?.... 😛
Sorry, but the relatively recent "Stand your ground law" in the U.S., which states that you can shoot anyone who you 'feel' might portentially threaten you, is nothing more than a 'you can shoot any black or dark skinned person you want', which is perfectly in keeping with America's long-history with slavery and the subjugation of anyone who isn't an older white man!
It has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with 'the Castle Doctrine' and pretending it does is itself a gross miscarriage of justice. But then, the U.S.A. has mostly gone feral at this point, with NO rule of law whatsoever.
The trick is to make sure you kill the other person where there are no cameras around.
Well, since I'm now disabled, I was (in my case) wondering about protecting myself and my family with a D-cell Maglite... (Remember those?)
It would fix the problem either way! (I never got into D&D much, but my son plays it now...)