Last week, the governor of New York State proposed that anyone who has been convicted of crimes related to domestic violence must surrender all firearms immediately. This announcement was made as part of Governor Cuomo’s 2018 State of the State address, where he specifically referenced the link between domestic violence and gun violence. For example, in 2016 there were firearms used in 25 domestic homicides in New York State. This effort comes as part of New York having the strictest gun laws in the United States, with the intentions to make them even stricter.
Currently, New York State’s laws do not allow anyone who has been convicted of a felony offense to possess firearms. Now, the governor’s goal is to extend this same rule to anyone convicted of any crime involving domestic violence, even misdemeanors. This will now include misdemeanor crimes such as battery or strangulation. In addition, the changes will also aim to require those who own rifles and shotguns to surrender their weapons as well. Currently, only handguns are required to be surrendered.
It is important that anyone who is a victim of domestic violence takes steps to protect themselves before additional abuse happens. An experienced family law attorney can help victims of domestic abuse file restraining orders against their abusers. If you need legal protection from an abuser, contact our firm today.
If you need strong legal representation regarding matters of divorce, family law, and estate law, contact the Law Offices of Susan A. Kassel, P.C. to schedule a consultation today.
