The Andrew Branca Show

This is part 1 of 2 of our discussion/reading of Duncan v. Bonta . Last week US District Court (Federal) Judge Roger Benitez handed down a ruling that California's ban on standard capacity magazines for firearms is unconstitutional. While this conclusion is simply obvious common sense, Judge Benitez was kind enough to explain the underlying constitutional reasoning behind this conclusion in a...

Today's show takes a dive into the self-defense law questions submitted by our Platinum Members, who have access directly to me to submit their inquiries about self-defense law and self-defense/defense of others/defense of property hypotheticals. These tend to be wide-ranging, open-mic, where I don't pre-screen the questions ahead of time, so even I don't know what topics we'll...

This past Sunday a 78-year-old Florida man, Edward Druzolowski, shot dead his neighbor, 42-year-old Brian Ford, during a confrontation over Ford cutting trees on the shooter's property. This morning, prestigious Law Professor Jonathan Turley published a post on his blog about this event. Although in my experience Professor Turley generally produces world-class legal content--as his academic a...

A family spending July 4th on their porch is suddenly subject to a fireworks attack from a passing pickup truck.  In response, they fire shots at the truck as it flees the scene. Are the shots lawful self-defense? Felony reckless endangerment? Something else? Join me LIVE at Noon ET to discuss! Become a Law of Self Defense Member for JUST 99 CENTS! Not yet a Law of Self Defense Member? WHY NOT? Tr...

Today's show takes a dive into the self-defense law questions submitted by our Platinum Members, who have access directly to me to submit their inquiries about self-defense law and self-defense/defense of others/defense of property hypotheticals. These tend to be wide-ranging, open-mic, where I don't pre-screen the questions ahead of time, so even I don't know what topics we'll...

Earlier this year Federal law enforcement sought to execute a search warrant an a mother and her two adult sons for living unlawfully on Federal park land. Because one of the sons had previously made threatening statements, the arrest was made surreptitiously by plain-clothes officers pretending to need a jump-start for their truck. When one of the brothers, named Timber, prepared to help the as y...

UPDATE: The pro-Second Amendment forces have secured a Temporary. Restraining Order in Federal Court to FOIL Governess' Grisham's scheme to suspend the US Constitution within the Land of Enchantment! Last Friday--probably in the hopes that it wouldn't get too much media attention--New Mexico Governess Lujan Grisham decided that she had the legal authority to suspend the Second Amend...

A Tennessee man working with his father suddenly sees his father's pickup truck being driven away by a thief. Father and son jump into the son's vehicle, and pursue the stolen pick-up, eventually catching up near some railroad tracks. The father and son approach the stolen truck, only to have the thief start waving a machete around. Unfortunately for the thief, it turned out he'd br...

Earlier this year 18-year-old United Kingdom prankster @SecretMizzy (real name: Bacari O'Garro) and a couple of friends simply walked into the home of a family of strangers.  The pranksters pretended they had come for a fictional study group, and made themselves comfortable on the sofa. O'Garro had played similar pranks where he abruptly sat down in other people's occupied vehicles....

On June 1, 2023 a masked 14-year-old Jor'Dell Richardson threatened a liquor store clerk with an apparent pistol, committing an armed robbery along with several other masked young black men. Police arrived as the 14-year and other robbers fled the store carrying armfuls of merchandise. Police chased and tackled Richardson to the ground, at which point they became aware of the apparent pistol...

Today's show takes a dive into the self-defense law questions submitted by our Platinum Members, who have access directly to me to submit their inquiries about self-defense law and self-defense/defense of others/defense of property hypotheticals. These tend to be wide-ranging, open-mic, where I don't pre-screen the questions ahead of time, so even I don't know what topics we'll...

In yesterday's live stream a Law of Self Defense member (hat tip, SirBrass) brought to my attention an interesting facet of Indiana's self-defense immunity law, and helpfully provided me with the actual statute--and, indeed, the immunity law seems interesting enough to warrant an entire show. Indeed, all of Indiana's self-defense statutes are fairly interesting, so this Law of Self...

Effective September 1, 2023, the Great State of Texas now provides self-defense immunity to both churches as institutions as well as to the individuals who serve churches as armed security. We take a look at this new legislation, and explore how it differs from more common self-defense immunity provisions around the country, as well as to what extent it might prove a model for adoption by other st...

On August 24, 2023, Ta'kiya Young decided to drive her car into an Ohio police officer. That officer fired a single round through her windshield, causing mortal injury. Unknown to the officer, Young was pregnant, and the baby was also lost. Police were stopping Young as she sat in her car in a shopping parking lot because she was suspected of stealing alcohol from a local store. Young was, of...

​A homeowner in Wichita Falls TX awakens in the middle of the night to find an intruder breaking into his home. Lacking a firearm, the homeowner resorts to the weapons he does have at hand--and that happens to be a short spear!  As it happens, the homeowner happens to be a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), a group that role-plays old World combat wearing real armor and replica...

A female security guard in a New Orleans library found herself the target of a man's ire. As the man ran from the library with the guard in pursuit, he purportedly threw both a rock and his cell phone at her, then continued fleeing. Her response? To draw her pistol and pew-pew at him 11 times, striking him 7 times.  At last report, the man was in the hospital and expected to survive his wound...

The Law of Self Defense community is very fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy this live interview of Ohio State Representative Josh Williams (R), who is on the front lines to strengthen his state's self-defense law. Along with colleagues he is fighting to advance HB233, a bill that would create a pre-trial opportunity for a defender to be granted a legal presumption that their use of d...

In this Law of Self Defense show we take a look at a bit of road rage video sent into our office. The video appears sourced from a foreign country, but there are nevertheless important lessons and introspections we can draw from this event, in terms of how best any of us might deal with a similar confrontation. Become a Law of Self Defense Member for JUST 99 CENTS! Not yet a Law of Self Defense Me...

An officer approaches a masked young black man with an apparent Glock tucked in his waistband, at gun point. Despite repeated orders to not reach for the Glock, the suspect does so, pulling it from his waistband. The cop shoots the suspect. Later it turns out the the "Glock" in question was a highly-detailed replica BB gun. Still a lawful shoot by the officer? Become a Law of Self Defens...

On October 21, 2021, actor #AlecBaldwin pointed what he knew to be a real gun at Ukrainian cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, while filming on the set of the movie "Rust" in New Mexico, without first ensuring that the real gun was not loaded, and shot and killed her. On these simple facts alone Alec Baldwin's conduct in the death of Halyna Hutchins qualifies as involuntary manslaughte...

The Ohio legislature is considering House Bill 233 which would re-write the state's self-defense law to provide for self-defense immunity--the right to have a low-cost pre-trial hearing determine a claim of self-defense, and avoid the terrible cost, time, and risks of a full-blown trial. A quick read of the proposal suggests that this would be the MOST POWERFUL self-defense immunity privilege...

Two men bump chests in a bar. One starts swinging his fists at the other. The other responds by promptly presenting a handgun and shooting the puncher. Lawful self-defense by the shooter? Or an unlawful use of deadly force? Become a Law of Self Defense Member for JUST 99 CENTS! Not yet a Law of Self Defense Member? WHY NOT? Try our two-week trial membership, unlimited access to our show content, f...

A pair of armed home invaders pretending to be apartment maintenance men first try to talk their way into a defender's apartment--without success. They next take turns trying to kick down the apartment door, repeating their efforts until they suddenly start hearing loud noises. The apartment resident has decided to defend his "castle" by sending a fusillade of fire through his own d...

A customer in a convenience store preparing to purchase a 6-pack of beer happened to observe the store clerk suddenly become the victim of an armed robbery. With little hesitation, the customer drew a pistol, and shot at the robber 7 times--including shooting him once in the face--all without ever putting down his six pack. The final shot was fired after the robber had fallen to the floor. Fortuna...

On August 5, 2023 a Denver police woman shot dead 36-year-old Brandon Cole, after he threatened her with a marker pen. Given that Cole's marker pen certainly could not inflict deadly force harm, was the officer guilty of an unlawful killing in her shooting of Cole? That's what we'll be discussing TODAY, LIVE at Noon ET! Become a Law of Self Defense Member for JUST 99 CENTS! Not yet...