Q: In Georgia, can you discharge a firearm while intoxicated if it comes to the point that you feel the need to use a gun?
I know it is illegal to discharge a firearm while intoxicated over a 0.08 but what if I am drunker than a 0.08 but I’m threatened enough to use it? This happened last weekend leaving a bar and a guy pulled a gun and pushed the barrel into a friends chest while I was behind him. I was carrying but did not want to go to prison
A:
The short answer is yes. In Georgia, whether intoxicated or not, a person has the right to defend themselves against the infliction of death or serious bodily harm. However, to justify the use of deadly force (i.e., shooting the firearm), the person must not be the aggressor and must actually be faced with deadly force themselves. This is an objective standard, meaning even if in your drunk mind you thought your life was in peril, but the actual facts show otherwise, a jury would likely find the hypothetical shooting of the firearm unjustified and you could face serious criminal liability.
Moral of the story, mixing alcohol consumption and firearms is unwise.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
