This has been a very helpful thread! Figured I'd bump it back up with a question that may be relevant to many people these days, considering how much knucks have blown up lately...
Where do you guys think items like the Snailor, Beer Defender, or the many other 1-2 finger bottle-opening knucks fit into all this? I'd like to be able to enjoy these items on my key ring, as part of my edc. Honestly, I don't really even drink much these days. I've never been in a fight (outside of non-personal punk show violence), and don't intend to ever get into any. But I like knives, and gear, and titanium - oh, I really love titanium...even more so if I can carry it around with me.
I'd say I'm a pretty mellow guy. I've been a CA medical cannabis patient for 10 years now but I respect laws about medicating - keep it at home, etc. I have tamed the automotive enthusiast that lives inside of me and obey driving laws. I maybe drink 3-6 times a year and I'm definitely never driving on those rare nights. I try to behave myself..
Having said all this, do you think I would have a problem throwing a 1-2 finger knuck on my key-ring?
Thanks
What you are talking about is "testing" the law. And that's a good way to wind up in trouble.
What we here on this forum think about the legality of one or two-fingered knuckles is meaningless. What matters is what the cop who finds them on you thinks, what your prosecutor thinks if you are arrested, what a judge thinks, and what a jury might think. And speaking as someone who has been through the California criminal justice system, I certainly wouldn't expect any of them to go easy on you.
If the item can be clearly identified as a weapon, either by it's design or by the language the manufacturer uses to advertise it, mere possession could get you arrested and later charged. And if you were ever to use it as a weapon, using an ILLEGAL weapon could make it very easy for a prosecutor to convince a jury that you are a criminal, and that you had criminal intent when you were carrying the ILLEGAL weapon.
And if you use a weapon in self-defense, don't for one second expect that the cops, prosecutor, judge, or jury will automatically believe that you were acting in self-defense, because they weren't there, and they don't know you. But the fact that you were carrying an ILLEGAL weapon might very well give the impression that you might have been the aggressor.
Also, don't expect cops/prosecutor/judge/jury to just take your word for it that the item in question is a bottle-opener, necklace, or some other innocent item. What you call it doesn't matter nearly as much as what they choose to call it.
While the chances of being caught carrying such an item might be very remote, consider what you have to lose by "testing" the law if you are caught. Can you afford to go to jail for a while? Can you afford bail? Can you afford to miss work or school? Can you afford a lawyer? Can you afford fines and court costs? And how would you be affected by having a criminal record?
And if you are convicted of a weapons offense, even a misdemeanor, and if you are placed on probation, you will be prohibited from possessing anything that your probation officer considers to be a weapon for the duration of your probation, and that generally includes all knives (excluding kitchen knives), as well as all firearms. Typical probation is three years. And there are probation fees that you would have to pay.
All in all, I'd say that you have a lot more to lose by testing the law and carrying a one or two-fingered knuckle, than you would ever stand to gain.
