BACKGROUND CHECKS AND RED-FLAG
LAWS.
CONVICTED DOMESTIC ABUSERS IN
WISCONSIN CAN NOW GET CONCEALED
CARRY GUN PERMITS.
THAT'S AFTER THE STATE SUPREME
COURT RULED THAT BECAUSE OF
FEDERAL LAW, MISDEMEANOR
DISORDERLY CONDUCT CONVICTIONS,
EVEN IF THEY INVOLVE DOMESTIC
ABUSE, DO NOT PREVENT LEGALLY
CARRYING A GUN.
AS TO THAT, THIS QUOTE FROM END
DOMESTIC ABUSE WISCONSIN, QUOTE,
IT IS BEYOND A DOUBT THAT
WISCONSIN VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE WILL BE VIOLENTLY, AND
IN MANY CASES LETHALLY, IMPACTED
BY THE DECISION.
JENNA GORMAL IS CO-DIRECTOR OF
PREVENTION AND ENGAGEMENT AT THE
ORGANIZATION.
SHE JOINS US NOW.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS.
>> HOW WILL THIS DECISION
LETHALLY IMPACT VICTIMS OF
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
>> SO THE LETHAL IMPACT OF THIS
DECISION IS VERY CLEAR.
EVERY YEAR WE CONDUCT A DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE HOMICIDE REPORT WHICH
DETAILS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BY
YEAR.
IN THAT REPORT, WE INCLUDE
DETAILED NARRATIVES OF THE
HOMICIDE ALONG WITH FACTORS AND
ONE OF THE PRECIPITATING FACTORS
WE SEE EVERY YEAR IS A CHARGE OF
DISORDERLY CONDUCT.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE
ABUSIVE PARTNER WAS CHARGED WITH
A CRIME OF DISORDERLY CONDUCT
PRIOR TO MURDERERRING THEIR
PARTNER SO THE LINK BETWEEN
DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE IS VERY CLEAR, AND A
WOMAN IS FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY
TO BE MURDERED WHEN HER ABUSER
HAS ACCESS TO A GUN.
>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER
STATISTICS ON THE USE OF GUNS IN
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMICIDES?
>> WELL, FIREARMS ARE THE MAIN
WEAPON USED IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
HOMICIDES IN WISCONSIN, AND OUR
LATEST DATA SHOWS THAT IN 2020,
FIREARMS WERE USED IN OVER HALF
OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMICIDE.
>> HOW FRIED INNED ARE ADVOCATES
AND VICTIMS AS A RESULT OF THIS
RULING?
>> I WOULD SAY THAT THERE IS A
LOT CONCERN.
IT'S VERY FRIGHTENING.
THIS SPECIFIC TYPE OF CHARGE IS
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CHARGES
IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES, AND
WHEN YOU ARE A VICTIM OF
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, IT IS
TERRIFYING, BUT THE KNOWLEDGE
THAT YOUR PARTNER IS UNABLE TO
ACCESS A WEAPON IS SOMEWHAT --
IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW AND IT
MAKES YOU FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE
AT EASE.
SO IT'S VERY, VERY SCARY.
>> IF THE STATE HIGH COURT HAS
TO FOLLOW THIS FEDERAL LAW
AROUND MISDEMEANOR DISORDERLY
CONDUCT CONVICTIONS NOT
PREVENTING THE CARRYING OF A
GUN, WOULDN'T THE ANSWER BE TO
HAVE A STANDALONE DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE STATUTE ON THE BOOKS IN
WISCONSIN?
>> YES, THAT WOULD BE, I THINK
THERE ARE A RANGE OF RESPONSES
AND WHAT WE DO NEED IS
LEGISLATION THAT BRINGS STATE
LAW IN LINE WITH FEDERAL LAW,
AND WE DO HAVE THAT LEGISLATION
AVAILABLE.
IT WAS INTRODUCED IN THE LAST
SESSION BUT IT DIDN'T GO TO
HEARING DESPITE BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT, SO WHAT WE NEED TO
RECOGNIZE NOW IS THAT THE LIVES
OF VICTIMS ARE AT STAKE AND THE
SAFETY OF VICTIMS ARE AT STAKE
AND IT'S NOT JUST THE LIVES OF
VICTIMS, IT'S THE LIVES OF THE
GENERAL PUBLIC.
WE ZOO SEE A LINK BETWEEN MASS
SHOOTINGS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
IN 60% OF CASES WITH MASS
SHOOTINGS, THERE IS A DIRECT
LINK WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SO
THIS IS REALLY A PUBLIC HEALTH
ISSUE, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE
THAT LEGISLATION MOVES FAST SO
WE CAN GET RESULTS.
>> FOR THE LEGISLATORS WHO DON'T
APPROVE OF KIND OF CLOSING THE
LOOPHOLE WITH A STANDALONE LAW,
WHAT DO THEY SAY TO YOU ABOUT
WHY NOT?
>> I GUESS THE REASON THAT WE
COME UP AGAINST THE LAW IS THAT
THERE'S A RIGHT TO OWN FIREARMS
AND THAT'S TAKING AWAY THE RIGHT
OF FOLKS TO OWN FIREARMS.
OUR RESPONSE TO THAT IS THAT
SAFETY SHOULD ALWAYS BE
CENTERED, AND WHEN IT COMES TO
HAVING FIREARMS, COMMON SENSE
FIREARM LEGISLATION IS SOMETHING
THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC DO WANT,
AND I THINK THAT EVERYONE WANTS
TO MAKE SURE THAT FIREARMS ARE
IN THE HANDS OF SAFE PEOPLE THAT
WE DON'T HAVE FIREARMS IN THE
HANDS OF FOLKS WHO ARE DANGEROUS
AND WHO POSE A THREAT TO THE
PUBLIC.
>> YOU SPOKE A MOMENT AGO ABOUT
THE CORRELATION BETWEEN MASS
SHOOTINGS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WHAT IS THAT CORRELATION?
>> SO AROUND TWO THIRDS OF MASS
SHOOTINGS IN THE U.S. INVOLVE A
HISTORY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SO
THAT CAN BE A THREAT, DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE AND MASS SHOOTINGS
INCIDENTS ARE PERPETRATED BY A
SHOOTER WITH A HISTORY OF
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WITH HIGHER
FATALITY RATES.
>> JENNA GORMAL, THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR YOUR WORK AND THANKS
FOR JOINING US.