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Mission Moldova
Judges Can Remove Guns in Domestic Violence Cases 1/6/13
Associated Press
January 6, 2013
SAN ANTONIO - Some Texas courts have been using a new pre-trial order
to confiscate guns from those who've been arrested in domestic violence
incidents.
The order is relatively new in the San Antonio area and is being used on a
case-by-case basis. But it's long been in practice by other Texas judges.
The San Antonio Express-News reports (http://bit.ly/UPLmZW ) that a Travis
County judge implemented a similar procedure a decade ago. An El Paso judge
began the practice last year.
Nationally, judges are trained to adopt firearms surrender and order weapons
removal for those named in protective orders as the best practices in decreasing
family violence.
Experts say having a gun in the house increases the potential for domestic
violence homicides.
Some say it may take time to see the orders' impact.