Belt Buckle Knives in California
In order to ensure the safety of residents, California law makes a concerted effort to control and ban dangerous weapons. The country as a whole has a contentious debate over the legality of guns, but another weapon that is included in the law are knives. This article will provide a brief overview of a specific knife: the belt buckle knife.
The Law Against Belt Buckles
For those who have not seen a belt buckle knife before, it is a knife that is an integral part of a belt buckle and has a blade. The part where the buckle ends continues to form the shape of a knife and is quite dangerous as many people would not assume a knife would be there. California Penal Code 20410 states that possessing, selling or giving, importing or making a belt buckle knife is illegal in the state. This specific knife is considered to be a prohibited weapon. It does not matter whether the defendant made a belt buckle knife at home or bought one advertised as such.
Criminal Penalties
It may seem like a small weapon in comparison to other dangerous ones, but the consequences for having, making, selling, or importing a belt buckle knife are severe. The crime is a wobbler, which means it is up to the prosecutor’s discretion to charge the defendant with either a misdemeanor or a felony. In the case of a misdemeanor, the defendant faces a possible fine as well as up to a year in jail. However, if the context of the case deems a felony charge more appropriate, the defendant faces an increased fine and up to three years in jail instead.
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