Democracy

Melissa Williams

October 18, 2006

McLaughlin V. United States

On July 26, 1984, Lamont McLaughlin and a companion attempted to rob a bank. McLaughlin had a handgun and ordered customers to put up their hands and not to move while his companion placed money into a bag. A police officer caught them as they were leaving the bank and arrested them. McLaughlin was charged with bank robbery and bank larceny and was also found guilty of assault because he had a gun during the robbery. The issue with this was that later the police men found the gun was unloaded. The question is can an unloaded hand gun be considered a dangerous weapon? The Supreme Court said yes it is and charged him with assault. The Supreme Court was correct in charging him for this for various reasons. One is that an unloaded handgun is still a dangerous weapon whether it is loaded or not. Another reason is that he used the unloaded gun to threaten the customers and instill fear in them. Also guns can also be used as a bludgeon and can potentially hurt people. Unloaded guns are dangerous weapons and one should be charged with assault if threatening