Definiciones y penalidades sobre armas recortadas en Virginia

Explicación Simple

Esta ley habla sobre armas llamadas escopetas y rifles recortados, que son más cortos de lo normal. Usar o tener estas armas durante un crimen grave puede llevar a una pena muy severa.

Es como si tuvieras un cuchillo de cocina, pero lo usas para pelear en lugar de cocinar. Si lo usas para hacer algo malo, las consecuencias son mucho más serias.

Ejemplo Práctico

Imagina que Juan, al salir de un bar, lleva una escopeta recortada. Si intenta asaltar a alguien con ella, podría enfrentarse a una pena muy grave, como varios años en prisión por cometer un delito violento.

Penalidades

Usar un arma recortada en un crimen violento es un delito de Clase 2; en otros casos, es un delito de Clase 4.

Texto Original del Estatuto (Inglés)

Va. Code § 18.2-299 - Definitions. When used in this article: "Sawed-off shotgun" means any weapon, loaded or unloaded, originally designed as a shoulder weapon, utilizing a self-contained cartridge from which a number of ball shot pellets or projectiles may be fired simultaneously from a smooth or rifled bore by a single function of the firing device and which has a barrel length of less than 18 inches for smooth bore weapons and 16 inches for rifled weapons. Weapons of less than .225 caliber shall not be included. "Sawed-off rifle" means a rifle of any caliber, loaded or unloaded, which expels a projectile by action of an explosion of a combustible material and is designed as a shoulder weapon with a barrel or barrels length of less than 16 inches or which has been modified to an overall length of less than 26 inches. "Crime of violence" applies to and includes any of the following crimes or an attempt to commit any of the same, namely, murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, rape, mayhem, assault with intent to maim, disable, disfigure or kill, robbery, burglary, housebreaking, breaking and entering and larceny. "Person" applies to and includes firm, partnership, association or corporation. Code 1950, § 18.1-268.1; 1968, c. 661; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1992, c. 580; 2004, c. 930 . Va. Code § 18.2-300 - Possession or use of "sawed-off" shotgun or rifle. A. Possession or use of a "sawed-off" shotgun or "sawed-off" rifle in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a crime of violence is a Class 2 felony. B. Possession or use of a "sawed-off" shotgun or "sawed-off" rifle for any other purpose, except as permitted by this article and official use by those persons permitted possession by § 18.2-303 , is a Class 4 felony. Code 1950, § 18.1-268.2; 1968, c. 661; 1975, cc. 14, 15;