Earlier this year, I had the honor of representing a woman named Judy, who used her gun to defend herself, her sister, and her sister-in-law after they were violently attacked in a parking lot in Rock Island County, Illinois. Much to her surprise, Judy was charged in Case Number 2010CF1076 in Rock Island County, Illinois, after telling the police about the attack she suffered. After a variety of motion hearings, we proceeded to a jury trial on February 7, 2012. The result of that trial was a verdict of Not Guilty, at which point the court ordered that Judy’s gun be returned to her right on the spot. Judy was then able to walk out of the courthouse with her pistol, return home, and accept an even better employment offer that had been on hold as she awaited trial. With Judy’s permission, I am sharing her story here.

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