What is a “Red Flag” law and do they work?
President Trump often says he wants to keep “crazy people” from having guns and has proposed so-called Red Flag laws to take a suspect’s guns away until a court can rule whether the person poses a threat. How do these laws work and do they save lives? Here is a summary from The New York Times.
CBS News provided these two useful lists:
Which states have implemented red flag laws?
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Hawaii (effective Jan. 1, 2020)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Nevada (effective Jan. 1, 2020)
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
Who can petition for a firearm to be removed?
In most states with ERPO laws, a family member may petition for a firearm to be removed from an individual. In other states, only law enforcement officials can make the petition. Here’s who is permitted to petition in each state:
- California: Family, household members and law enforcement
- Colorado: Family, household members and law enforcement
- Connecticut: One state attorney or any two police officers
- Delaware: Family, household members and law enforcement
- District of Columbia: Family, household members, mental health professionals and law enforcement
- Florida: Law enforcement
- Hawaii: Family, household members, teachers, medical professionals, coworkers and law enforcement
- Illinois: Family, household members and law enforcement
- Indiana: Law enforcement
- Maryland: Family, household members, certain health professionals and law enforcement
- Massachusetts: Family, household members and law enforcement
- Nevada: Family, household members and law enforcement
- New Jersey: Family, household members and law enforcement
- New York: Family, household members, school administrators and law enforcement
- Oregon: Family, household members and law enforcement
- Rhode Island: Law enforcement
- Vermont: State attorneys or the office of the state attorney general
- Washington: Family, household members and law enforcement
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