I’ve been an expert witness for the Courts since 1979, specializing in self-defense shooting cases. I’ve seen a lot of justified shootings turn into legal nightmares that cost well into six figures – even seven figures—of legal fees, court costs and bond money. When Marty Hayes created the post-self-defense support group concept almost twenty years ago with the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network, I became an enthusiastic proponent of the concept. I remain so, now belonging to CCW Safe, which absorbed ACLDN this past summer. Here is the best synopsis I’ve seen of the concept. Be sure to follow the links.
I selected ACLDN largely because of your association with it. I started reading your stuff back in the 70’s and AFAIK you were the first to occupy this space. I also follow your philosophy about self-defense and I figured that if I couldn’t justify my actions to a panel with you on it, the exigencies of a self-defense incident had clouded my judgment. I pre-plan responses to such incidents (and everything else) so as to minimize the chances of judgment errors.
Ditto.
Washington State’s take on self defense legal defense insurance is reprehensible. Their government prohibits insuring anyone who imposes deliberate violence against another and conflates this to include death or injury to an assailant from a defender resulting from their willful violent attack. In other words, it is illegal to have insurance to protect anyone with the audacity to defend themselves or others. ACLDN was sold to CCWSAFE as a result because it cannot legally function in its home state.
A change of leadership in this state is desperately needed as the current government hates its people. This is well known.
I use U.S. Law Shield (Texas Law Shield). So far, I have never had to call upon them. Any feedback from anyone who has had to call them would be appreciated.
Its all continuing to get so complicated they we’ll be better off just leaving the damn things at home.
That’s their plan. And it’s working.
The fact that self-defense insurance exists shows that our government’s criminal justice system is a failure. Citizens pay taxes for government services. Taxpayers should be protected from criminals. If they have to defend themselves from criminals, because the police can’t get there in time, they should get a fair trial. They should not be treated as criminals, simply because a criminal got hurt by a citizen who was defending him or herself. Good citizens are being persecuted by our government.
City governments are letting criminals out of jail and even prison. They are soft on crime. During the George Floyd riots, business owners were told to allow their businesses to burn, then collect the insurance, and start over. Since business owners were paying for police protection in their taxes, why didn’t the police prevent the businesses from burning at all? When insurance companies have to pay large sums, due to various disasters, they raise premiums on all the insured people across the country. So, the business owners pay taxes for police, and then pay for insurance, in case the police can’t protect the buildings.
The rich can afford to pay taxes, then insurance, and then keep up when inflation hits. The poor can’t afford to keep up paying for all these things, and it is even unjust to punish and take advantage of the rich. They should be able to spend their money the way they want, not the way an over-bloated, unjust government forces them to spend, just because the government has a monopoly on the legal use of force. That is bullying.
Government of the People, by the People and for the People only works if the voters educate themselves, and everyone follows the Rule of Law. There are very few things our government does well. We have great machines, but human beings are the weak links in our societies. History shows us that the same problems recur.
From Mas we learn how to defend ourselves against criminals and governments. The government should be on our side.
And let us beware also of greedy government.
I, too, joined ACLDN mainly due to Mas being a part of it. I began researching CCW insurance and, along with an attorney friend (retired criminal defense lawyer), decided that CCW Safe was likely the best match for our needs. The absorption of ACLDN into CCW Safe further resolved my choice in a happy manner.
Through conflict avoidance (staying in Condition Yellow and avoiding the wrong people, places and times) I hope to never need CCW Safe’s services or Mas’ expert witness services. But, it’s one less concern to know I have competent and righteous experts along with financial reserves on call in the gravest extreme.
I also hope CCW Safe’s terms of acquisition specify that Mas is not allowed to retire. 😉
I don’t hold any position with CCW Safe at this time, am just another member. I am sure they’d pay for the expert of your choice, but Jeff, since you’re one of my graduates, you get free testimony anyway on a “clean shoot.”
If I’m ever involved in a shoot that is other than “clean”, you’ll know that either (1) I’ve become senile or (2) I’m being framed.
Here’s an interesting question: one might expect a selection bias that people who carry guns (& take courses on self-defense) do so because they are aware that they are at elevated perceived risk of a violent attack, and therefore such students of defensive gun use may display a higher-than-average rate of such scenarios. Offsetting this selection bias would be the possibility that folks who take quality self-defense courses are also more aware and take additional measures to avoid putting themselves in risky situations, and therefore might display a lower-than-average rate of violent attacks.
The question would then be, which is the more powerful effect? Are Mas’ students more or less likely than “average” to find themselves in a potentially lethal defensive action? Of course, there are likely other factors that could affect the probability.
One must also beware of conflating correlation with causation. One teaching example I’ve often used with medial residents: the death rate per square foot of area is far higher in Emergency Rooms than any place else. Does this infer that one should avoid the ER if critically injured or ill?
Great quote at the end, Doc. I may use that in the future, with attribution of course.
Did any of the founding members or staff of ACLDN take positions with CCW?
I loved ACLDN because of who founded it, all of your experts–especially you Mas–and the benefits, but am leery of CCW after reviewing their terms.
Not sure.
Damn, prices have gone up. OK, everything’s gone up, but…….. still cheaper than the alternative.
I belong to the JBSDP (Joe Biden Self Defense Plan): First, fire the ol’ double barrel out the window. If that doesn’t work, fall down.
Even when the law and the facts are in your favor and you have highly talented legal representativeS(yes, plural) arguing on your behalf, expect massive financial and emotional trauma that will take years from your life.
The best you can hope for is that the ordeal will prove to be temporary and survivable.