Stanford v. State
Stanford v. State
Opinion of the Court
Following his convictions by a jury of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carrying a pistol without a license, and carrying a concealed weapon, Larry Stanford appeals, arguing that the trial court erred in denying his request for a jury charge on justification. Finding no merit to his argument, we affirm.
Viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict, the record shows that on October 4, 1998, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Sergeant
At trial, Stanford took the stand and testified that the handgun belonged to a neighbor who lived a few blocks from him, that the handgun had been left at his house, and that, at the time he was stopped by the police, he was returning the gun to its owner. Stanford said that he wanted to get the gun away from his house because he had friends around his house who were very young.
At the charge conference, Stanford requested that the judge charge the jury on justification. OCGA § 16-3-20 provides: “The fact that a person’s conduct is justified is a defense to prosecution for any crime based on that conduct,” and then sets forth various circumstances in which the defense of justification can be claimed.
“Justification is a defense to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.” Little v. State.
Judgment affirmed.
Little v. State, 195 Ga. App. 130 (392 SE2d 896) (1990).
Williams v. State, 267 Ga. 771, 774 (2) (c) (482 SE2d 288) (1997).
Bowden v. State, 270 Ga. 19, 20 (3) (504 SE2d 699) (1998).
Taylor v. State, 180 Ga. App. 200, 201 (3) (348 SE2d 582) (1986).
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.