There Should Be Stricter Gun Control Laws - Statement Of Judge Marvin E. Aspen, Criminal Division, Circuit Court Of Cook County, Il, Before The Subcommittee On Crime, House Committee On The Judiciary, April 14, 1975

This myth goes something like this: "Gun control legislation will disarm the law-abiding citizen, leaving him the helpless prey of the crook who will not be affected by the legislation."

My response to this contention, although statistically supportable, is based on my courtroom observations over the past four years, where more than one thousand accused felons have appeared before me for trial. I believe that a strong federal gun control bill will, in the long run—not overnight—disarm the criminal. I believe that the law enforcement needs of the law-abiding citizen are not best served by possession of a firearm.

I am not convinced that restricting or banning the sale and possession of handguns to the general public will have no effect on the criminal …. Restricting the import and interstate sale of handguns will dry up the potential arsenal readily available at the local gun shops to the criminal and the potential criminal.

Reducing or eliminating the private ownership of handguns by private citizens will also serve to reduce this potential arsenal. It is my impression that a significant number of handguns used in crimes are taken in burglaries from the homes and businesses of law-abiding citizens …. Five hundred thousand guns are stolen every year from homes and businesses of law-abiding citizens….

Therefore, it is clear to me that the criminal, whether or not he initially turns in his handgun, will, in the long run, be adversely affected by proposed federal legislation.

No responsible law enforcement officer would argue that weapons in the private sector have been significantly effective in combating crime. On the contrary, weapons in the private sector pose a constant threat to the law-abiding citizen.