damn_registrars's Journal: Attempted Possesion of a Weapon?

A professional football player recently plead guilty to "Attempted Possesion of a Weapon", a lesser charge than the charge of "Possesion of a Weapon" that he was originally indicted on. This allows him to serve a lesser prison sentence, of course, though is still a felony charge with apparently a minimum sentence of 20 months with good behavior.

My question isn't about "star treatment" or even gun rights. My question is what the hell is "attempted possesion"? Why do we even have such a charge on the books (other than to offer as a plea bargain)? I understand that we have plenty of other problems pertaining to the issue (prison overcrowding of course being one of them). But really, what is the point of a charge of "attempted possesion"?

After all, he did possess a weapon. Hell, the idiot managed to shoot himself with it.

Lawyer Friend

[Shadow Wrought]

A lwayer I worked with did criminal cases for awhile. As I understad it (and I've only done paralegal work: IANAL), part of possession is having control of the gun. So if you try to gain control of the gun, and fail, then its not possession, but you did try so its attempted. That could explain the law on the books. How that relates to somone shooting themselves? Yeah, can't help you there!

Re:

[cml4524]

So if you try to gain control of the gun, and fail, then its not possession, but you did try so its attempted. That could explain the law on the books. How that relates to somone shooting themselves? Yeah, can't help you there!

Well, he shot himself by mistake while it was in his pants, so he didn't really have "control" of it, so you have a technicality there....