Need to know some knife laws

I have no idea of the law in LA County, but calling yourself "PsycoWackJob" and carrying any sort of knife is just asking for trouble.
 
I think you would have a hard time convincing the police officer that knife is a tool for your legitimate business, and not a weapon (dagger profile, double edge), especially if the officer had a reason to stop you in the first place. In other words, even if its legal, you'd better damn keep a low profile carrying that knife.
 
I believe that I remember reading that double edged knives are considered to be illegal inCalifornia.
 
Per section 12020 of the California Penal Code it is fully legal to carry any fixed blade knife reguardless of blade configuration or length provided that it is carried in a sheath and is carried in plain view.

However, in the city of Los Angeles it is violation of the cities municiple code to carry any knife or dagger with a blade longer than 3" in plain view. This makes all fixed blades illegal inside the city limits of LA.

This does not mean that you may not get arrested. I have been spending the vast majority of my time lately in court as an expert witness on knives and knife law here in SoCal. Most of the cases have been officers arresting folks for having switchblades when they only really have liner locked folders. We win the cases but that does not save the defendants from spending weeks or sometimes months in jail waiting for trial or having to post a couple thousand dollars in bail money.

Moral being, if they want to arrest you they will. Even if they have to make up a reason, they will get you. Then you will have to sit in jail, spend tons of money on your defense and hire someone like me to save your butt.

Exercise your rights but be carefull.
 
well its a good thing i dont live in LA and secondly i know alot of the cops around here and my usual screen name "trigger happy" didnt really apply to this forum and what i dont understand is why cant you carry a sword technically is say there is no length limit and probably no cop will honor tht but just some food for thought, and i do shipping and recieveing all day long so the knife is a valid tool for that and thanks guys
 
Per 12020 you can carry a sword. However there are "intent to go armed" laws that would/could come into play. In CA if your intent is to carry a weapon and you do not have a CCW then you are breaking the law in most cases.

For instance, a baseball bat is a legal sporting tool, however, it is unlawfull to carry one unless you also have two baseballs and a baseball glove with you as well. If you just have the bat, the law assumes your intent is to use the bat as a weapon since it is useless as a sporting device without the balls.
 
PsycoWackJob said:
but just some food for thought, and i do shipping and recieveing all day long so the knife is a valid tool for that
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No offense, but I think if you tried really hard you could find a valid tool for your job that is not a fixed, double edged, dagger profile blade, and work better for both purposes that you intend to use it for- opening stuff, and convincing people who see you use it that you are not carrying the knife as a weapon.
 
R.W.Clark said:
For instance, a baseball bat is a legal sporting tool, however, it is unlawfull to carry one unless you also have two baseballs and a baseball glove with you as well. If you just have the bat, the law assumes your intent is to use the bat as a weapon since it is useless as a sporting device without the balls.
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Well its not quite as cut and dried as that, but you are right that depending on the circumstances, sporting equipment can be considered an illegal weapon, specifically a prohibited club or batton. ie, if you bring it to a bar to break heads, or keep one in the car and tell the police that its for self defense.

I also agree that its generally not a good idea to carry a fixed blade in urban areas in California.

Best regards,

Argyll
 
Actually it pretty much is that simple. Spent over four and half years as a Federal LEO working in SoCal. You find someone with a baseball bat or golf club and no other gear to go with it and you want to take them off the street, they are going in for a weapons violations pure and simple.
 
Danzz said:
No offense, but I think if you tried really hard you could find a valid tool for your job that is not a fixed, double edged, dagger profile blade, and work better for both purposes that you intend to use it for- opening stuff, and convincing people who see you use it that you are not carrying the knife as a weapon.
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oh im sure if i wanted i could find a knife better suited but i like knives i like this knife and so i would guess that if i live in a small suburb it wouldnt be a good idea to carry it with me all though the law permits ?
 
R.W.Clark said:
Actually it pretty much is that simple. Spent over four and half years as a Federal LEO working in SoCal. You find someone with a baseball bat or golf club and no other gear to go with it and you want to take them off the street, they are going in for a weapons violations pure and simple.
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Actually, I have more years of federal LEO experience than that, but I am not relying on it at the moment. Sure, if you "want to take them off the street" you'll say that a bat is a weapon, and depending on the circumstances it may be. But I can pretty well guarantee that the presence or absence of two baseballs is not going to make the difference in the eyes of the prosecutor or judge, as to whether the arrest was valid. Its much more situational than that. I mean, if a theoretical hood was walking down an alley with a bag full of golf clubs, with balls and tees, at midnight on the way to a gang fight, would that make the clubs OK? Of course not. Conversely, a baseball bat is not automatically an illegal weapon, just because you don't have a baseball on hand (or because a cop says so). It depends.

Best regards,

Argyll

P.S. I had a current federal LEO tell me just the other day that all double edged knives are illegal to carry in California. Unwise to carry, yes, but illegal, not always . . .
 
What was your branch and dept?

Are you court certified as an expert in laws pertaining to dangerous and deadly weapons? Specifically 653K and 12020 and 12020.1.
 
R.W.Clark said:
What was your branch and dept?

Are you court certified as an expert in laws pertaining to dangerous and deadly weapons? Specifically 653K and 12020 and 12020.1.
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I'm not sure I understand what exactly you disagree with at this point, since we both agree a common item such as a baseball can be an illegal weapon under P.C. 12020. (Items such as expandable batons which have no dual purpose are definitely illegal for civilian possession.)

I am not planning to post my resume on the internet, and even if I did it wouldn't answer the question of when is a bat an illegal weapon. Those who are interested in the issue may wish to read the lead California case, in which the state Supreme Court held that a broken baseball bat with a taped handle, which the defendant admitted was being kept in his car as a weapon, was an illegal billy under California Penal Code section 12020. The court explained that that possession of the sometimes-useful objects can be illegal if the circumstances, including "the time, place, destination of the owner, and alterations" to the object indicate that the person possessed it as a weapon. “Accordingly the statute would encompass the possession of a table leg, in one sense an obviously useful item, when it is detached from the table and carried at night in a ‘tough’ neighborhood to the scene of a riot. On the other hand the section would not penalize the Little Leaguer at bat in a baseball game.” (People v. Grubb (1965) 63 Cal.2d 614)

As I have simply said, it depends on the circumstances.

Best regards,

Argyll

P.S. Sorry for contributing to the thread drift.
 
Mr. Psycho,

If you carry around some 'wet' grass mats, you may be able to convince them you were going to do some cutting "demonstrations" with your sword.;)
 
I believe you should be OK with it in your glove box. Behind your seat would be better I think though as that would be considered a non-passenger area.

12020 say "carrys concealled" not transports, so I am unsure how that would play out if it is even an issue at all.
 
well my glove box locks unlike most newer model cars and i have a small gun vault enough for 1 or 2 guns but if im mounting that i might as well put in a gun
 
Ya, I would say that your fine.

Just remember with the guns, that the firearm and ammo must be in seperate containers.
 
R.W.Clark said:
Ya, I would say that your fine.

Just remember with the guns, that the firearm and ammo must be in seperate containers.
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the mags i usually keep in the glove box abd the gun under the seat in a lock box
 
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