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Reflections On Firearms And The Criminal Law, Franklin E. Zimring

Franklin E. Zimring

The article presents the author's opinion on firearms and violence. Firearms and firearms control have never been an important issue in criminal law scholarship, even though firearms are used in many violent crimes and the criminal law is the principal mechanism used to regulate gun ownership and use in the U.S. Concern about violence and its control is the major reason for interest in firearms and firearms control, but what is not so clear is why a focus on violence emerged in the 1990s. The homicide rate in the U.S. doubled betweem 1964 and 1974 and has been fluctuating around …