US Law Sheild

[Flyguy]

Hello All,
I've lurked around on and off for about 10 yrs. , but don't really post a lot . I wanted to ask what people thought of US Law Shield ? I've been a CCW holder for about 10 yrs. now , and although I've had a lawyers phone number in my cell phone for most of that time I never really felt prepared in the event . Last Sat. I attended a US Law Shield seminar and the Lawyer that spoke gave us a lot of good info and printed material . The whole thing lasted about 2 hrs. and I felt it was worth my time so I'm happy I went . I ended up enrolling in the program and got 14 months for the price of 12 . $131.40. So now I basically have a Lawyer on retainer and in the event I am ever forced to defend myself or a family member I have a number to call and a lawyer on my side before making any statements and any legal fees are covered by the plan criminal and civil . I feel better having this plan on my side . I've also carried a lawyers number that I know personal thru the Amvets club I belong to and I could use him as well , but I think having a gun law lawyer in a self defense situation would be better . What are your thoughts on this ? Can I be more prepared in some other way ? You Folks here seem to have a good handle and understanding on CCW / ORC and such so I figured I would ask . In any case while Ive had my ducks in a row before , I think I'm better covered with the US Law Shield program.


Thx
Keith

[JediSkipdogg]

These get brought up every now and then and some questions one needs to think about...

Where is your attorney coming from? Oh wait, you don't even know who your attorney is. Are they reliable? I'm in the process of suing a large amusement park in Ohio and I booted three attorneys to the curb before I obtained my current one because of reliability. And the previous three all came from the recommendations of others, so more personal than a website appointing one.

What does it all cover? Remember, legal fees are just one small part of a self-defense situation. If you can't afford the other parts, then being able to afford your legal team is pointless. Also, if they are not local does it cover their travel fees or is that extra?

Where is your attorney again? Do they know the local courts. Yes, all Ohio courts are suppose to be the same. But if Attorney Jim Bob knows prosecutor Joe Slim you have a better hand in the bucket already before you even start.

I don't like any service that provides an attorney. I like to know and shake the hand of my attorney before I ever need them. You can't do that with services that appoint an attorney for you and if you don't like who you got, well, that's on you, not the company.

[Flyguy]

Jediskipdogg,

The Attorney would be coming from Cincinnati . All travel expenses and legal fees are covered by the plan as well as any travel and fee's for any civil proceedings . Granted you do bring up some good points ! I will need to call them and ask some more questions of them . I as well have a lawyer I can call in the middle of the night right here local in Springfield, he is the one I know personally from the Amvets club we both belong to . Maybe I should have asked some questions here before going to the seminar but it was kind of a last minute thing to attend . Hopefully others will chime in that are familiar with this program or have had dealings with them . I as well will be asking more questions of the lawyer I know personally . Hopefully I never need this service or any lawyer , but I just want to be as prepared as I can in the event anything ever happens .

Thx
Keith

[M-Quigley]

I don't currently have any pre paid services, but am curious about them. Although I have a few specific attorneys that I would use for certain locations, something could conceivably happen outside of those areas. As far as US shield in particular, have you seen this?

https://www.thetrace.org/2015/08/texas- ... n-lawsuit/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Although it's best to read the whole thing, here is one quote from the article.

TLS defines coverage of the “use” of a firearm as:

Any incident where the Legal Service Contract Holder either discharges or displays a firearm for the purpose of using the firearm as a weapon to stop a threat, whether the Legal Service Contract Holder pulls the trigger and discharges the firearm or not. This term does not include taking the firearm to a location that is prohibited by federal, state, or local law, negligent or unintended discharges, or negligent or unintended displays.

That seems straightforward enough: “So if you’re not using your firearm to stop a threat, you are not covered,” Mark Bennett, a criminal defense attorney based in Houston, writes on his legal blog. But that’s a huge potential problem for members, he adds: “Often in a gun case the central issue is whether you are using your firearm to stop a threat.” Imagine, for example, a licensed gun owner like George Zimmerman, who was charged with murder after shooting Trayvon Martin to death. Zimmerman claimed he was defending himself against an assault from Martin, but the criminal charges against Zimmerman turned precisely on whether or not he was justified in perceiving a threat. So a TLS member could conceivably find himself in a catch-22 where the charges against him — the very charges for which he hoped TLS would assist him with — exempt TLS from bankrolling a defense.

“If Texas Law Shield looks at the case … and concludes that you were not justified in using your weapon, they can deny coverage, leaving you to hire a lawyer.” Bennett writes. “Texas Law Shield looks to me like a sucker’s bet.”

Something to consider with the "prohibited by federal, state, or local law, negligent or unintended discharges," part. I recall a court case years ago where the defender's gun discharged without his intent when the BG attempted to disarm the good guy. One of the issues brought up in court was his statement to police where he said he didn't intend to shoot him at that moment, it just went off. Combine this with a prosecutor with an agenda against civilian gun use in general and an inexperienced defense attorney all combine for a poor outcome. When I say inexperienced, I don't mean a new attorney. This guy had experience in defending real criminals, but none in legitimate self defense cases.

When it comes to "prohibited by state law", does a no guns sign on a private business technically count? I went into a gas station once that had 2 sets of doors. The set of doors I didn't go into had the gunbuster sign, didn't know that at the time. I also went into a gas station/mart once where a couple was standing outside in front of one of the doors. It wasn't until the second time I had occasion to enter the place that I noticed the no guns sign posted right where the guy was standing the first time. Had something happened the first time I was there would they say I was technically violating state law? I suppose if I was lucky enough to prove I couldn't see the signs I might be off the hook, depending on which way the security cameras were posted, IDK.

[sd790]

Just yesterday, Derek DeBrosse (Gun Lawyer) made a short YouTube video about this very topic. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q9m_YuNUIBU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MyWifeSaidYes]

... As far as US shield in particular, have you seen this?

https://www.thetrace.org/2015/08/texas- ... n-lawsuit/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't read ANYTHING that is posted on a website funded and controlled by Michael Bloomberg.

TheTrace.org: It’s A Trap!
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2015/0 ... ts-a-trap/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[M-Quigley]

... As far as US shield in particular, have you seen this?

https://www.thetrace.org/2015/08/texas- ... n-lawsuit/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't read ANYTHING that is posted on a website funded and controlled by Michael Bloomberg.

TheTrace.org: It’s A Trap!
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2015/0 ... ts-a-trap/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for posting this, wasn't aware of the sites reputation. It was just what came up when I did a google search.

[qmti]

I attended this seminar and signed up for this coverage. Does anyone have anything positive to say on this service?

[Flyguy]

qmti,
I am the opening poster . I have had a friend who works for a lawyers firm look into this . From what he has found this service is not a scam . But it does require you to have used your firearm properly and carried it properly .....The gun is the VERY last resort ....even in your home . This contract requires you to be a educated carrier or they can refuse to pay for your legal bills if you acted improperly(but will still defend you out of your pocket) ......now with that being said ...... the gun is the last resort ...you must use reasonable force in all situations and meet the conditions outlined in your CCW hand book . I will use this service and(but) I am checking into a local firm for a number to call if I need to do the unthinkable just to be safe . In Ohio if you shoot someone it is illegal , but under certain circumstances it can be justified but you and I must prove we needed to use said force .......the other 49 states are not this way . In Ohio Deadly force CAN be justified only for .....Rape, Kidnapping , Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Burglary ..... in other words the bad guy must have a weapon or the means to do you harm or cause your death( at least for the last 3)....... Ive heard many people say as soon as the bad guy enters my house I'm shooting ...well we do have protection under the castle doctrine but still the gun is the last resort ... If the bad guy breaks in and displays no weapon you could be in hot water......Put him at gun point and call 911 .... yes ....if he flea's lets him go ...... if you shoot ...it could be bad !! Same thing goes for defending property ....bad guy is breaking into your truck in the drive way .....yes you can use reasonable force to stop it ......you confront him he flea's...cool .....you confront him and he produces a weapon like a knife ...you should be in retreat mode and drawing yelling stop or I'll shoot ........I believe this program can work , but you must use your head and be educated ...walk softly and carry a big stick still applies today . Use the gun only if you have to ...protect only you and yours . There are more things to consider like disparity of force and such but I believe the information they provided in the seminar was solid and makes sense ..... I myself am glad I went because I do have a better understanding of the use of force......reasonable and deadly . For me I believe this program can work ....because I don't have 10's of thousands of dollars laying around and I want to avoid using the gun except in the most dire of extremes . Being you signed up you have all the same info I do ..read it, digest it, review your CCW hand book ........and look for a local firm willing to take your info and give you a phone number to call should you need to explain yourself to the police ...... In Ohio self defense is not easy tp prove ...you must understand use of force and be prepared the best you can ......either way .... we must defend our self's and family's at all costs . While IANAL I feel I have a good understanding of what I can justify if the unthinkable happens ......as to US Law shield ....I feel it is a workable asset ....but if they don't feel you where justified the bill is on you . The info they gave in the seminar I feel is solid ....... and never give a statement without a lawyer present .

[qmti]

Flyguy, thanks for the response. Everything said has merit. I currently belong to another nationwide service and they also have pretty much the same requirements when it comes to coverage when a weapon is used. USLAW seems to have better coverage for the same amount of money. Like everything else your actions are up to interpretation by the insurance company and it's up to you to follow the terms of coverage.

[M-Quigley]

qmti,
I am the opening poster . I have had a friend who works for a lawyers firm look into this . From what he has found this service is not a scam . But it does require you to have used your firearm properly and carried it properly .....The gun is the VERY last resort ....even in your home . This contract requires you to be a educated carrier or they can refuse to pay for your legal bills if you acted improperly(but will still defend you out of your pocket)

And who gets to decide whether you acted improperly or not? They do? You know if it goes to trial the prosecutor is definitely going to say you acted improperly, that's basically the whole point of contention in a DGU. Whats to stop US Shield from looking at a case that's not a potential slam dunk in court and might be expensive for them to defend, to just say you were in the wrong? I'm not a Mas Ayoob but of the few DGU cases I've studied, almost all of them have at least one or more elements where there are potential issues. There are very few absolutely perfect self defense cases that actually go beyond a grand jury to a trial.

[Bowhunter44615]

I have attended a well respected training school in Ohio several times. One of the instructors is a trial attorney. He mentions insurance when asked. I am not speaking for him but the jist of opinion is "buyer beware". Some of these policies have many restrictions and limits. Some are "group insurance". What this means is everyone who has insurance shares in a pot of money. When that pot is gone, so is your insurance. His suggestion is look at your home owner's policy. Many companies already cover liability for personal protection. You can also expand the coverage with an umbrella policy. My brother in law who is also my agent was at one of the classes with me and he confirmed what the attorney said. Why pay for something you already have?