English
Guns and self defense at home (Jalisco law) please see 2019 gun law update
With burglaries and home invasions on the rise and the intruders being armed and some killing people found at home, here are some tips to make your being a victim more pleasant and not find yourself in jail next to the people who broke in. The following is purely legal and you should also ponder on the emotional ramifications of killing another human being as well as if you hesitate and then they turn your weapon on you.
If you are going to shoot someone please make sure that your weapon is not a caliber that is for exclusive use of the police and military. Permitted calibers are .22, .25, .32, .380 and .38 special, not +P or Super. You can also whack them with a shotgun, I dont recall if slugs are legal so stick to buck shot or #7, 8 or 9 pellets. A rifle is fine but no assault weapons.
Prohibited calibers include but are not limited to such as .38 +P, .38 Super, .9mm, 10mm, .40 cal, .44 magnum, .357 magnum, .45 auto.
Make sure that your pistol is registered with the military. We can help you do this. It will ensure you get your gun back and you are legally able to buy ammo, there is an ammo store 1 block from my Guadalajara office so after registration you can stock up for a rainy day or when the local unemployment rate rises.
Be aware of the State Penal Code and the presumptions for self (legitimate) defense. Article 13 II (e) details this, to paraphrase you may use force to protect another or property when repelling a present aggression that is real, violent, legitimate and imminent.
The exclusion from responsibility does not apply if you provoked the aggression or if you were able to avoid it by other means.
There is a presumption of legitimate defense whoever repels and harms an intruder who scaled walls or who forced entry into a home or apartment or interior areas and that there exists a evident presumption of committing an aggression or crime. The same presumption favors one who harms an intruder found in their room or that of their family or one of whom they have an obligation to protect or where their or anothers property they are protecting whenever the presence of the intruder happens with circumstances that reveal the possibility of an aggression by the intruder.
In the event the person uses excessive force, the penalty is from 3 days to 8 years of prison.
Original Spanish version
e) La legítima defensa de la persona, honor, derechos o bienes del activo; así como de la persona, honor, derechos o bienes de otro; entendiéndose que se encuentra en tal hipótesis quien rechace una agresión actual, real, violenta e ilegítima que genere un peligro inminente.
No operará tal excluyente, si el activo provocó la agresión o la previó o pudo evitarla fácilmente por otros medios.
Operará parcialmente dicha excluyente, si no hubo necesidad racional del medio empleado en la defensa o si el daño que iba a causar el agresor era fácilmente reparable por otro medio o era notoriamente de poca importancia, comparado con el que causó la defensa.
Se presumirá que actúa en legítima defensa quien rechace y dañe a un intruso que realice un escalamiento o fractura de las cercas, paredes o entradas de su casa o departamento habitado o de sus dependencias interiores, y que exista la presunción evidente de cometer una agresión o la comisión de un delito. La misma presunción favorecerá al que dañe a un intruso que encontrare en la habitación propia o familiar, o de aquella persona a quien tenga obligación de defender, o en lugar donde se encuentren sus bienes propios o ajenos que deba cuidar, siempre que la presencia del extraño ocurra en circunstancias que revelen la posibilidad de una agresión por el intruso. El Ministerio Público en la averiguación previa, resolverá de oficio si opera o no la legítima defensa.
En el caso de exceso en la legítima defensa que se menciona en este artículo, se aplicará al infractor la pena de tres días a ocho años de prisión.
