Getting out of Control at Your Kid’s Sporting Event Can Land You in Jail

If you become overzealous or unruly at your kid’s sporting event and threaten another parent, coach or player, you can have serious criminal consequences. Threatening another person with a gun is enough to prosecute you for a felony and could land you in jail. At Wallin & Klarich, our attorneys have over 40 years of experience successfully defending our clients facing charges for criminal threats of violence towards another person. Our attorneys understand California concealed weapon laws and would like to share with you what happened to one parent who got out of control at his child’s sporting event.

In a recent case filed in the California Court of Appeal, a man was lawfully detained by police after he made threats at his son’s high school football game based on a tip from a coach that he had a gun. In People v. Ronald Henderson Turner, Super. Ct. No. SS111816 (August 28, 2013), Henderson was charged with three felonies:

• Possession of a firearm in a school zone (California Penal Code section 626.9);
• Carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm (Penal Code section 12031(a)); and
• Carrying a concealed firearm (Penal Code section 12025(a)(2)).

Here are the Facts Reported by the Court of Appeals Decision

After a high school football game on Sept. 23, 2011, head coach Ralph Ward and several other coaches were accompanying their families to their cars for their protection because of a threat by defendant Ronald Turner, a parent of one of the players. Turner called one of the coaches a racial slur and then said, “I’ll see you after the game.” Off-duty probation officers were providing security at the game. Coach Ward told one of the officers that he had been told by his aunt (who heard it from an acquaintance of the defendant) that Turner “had a gun on him.” The officers located the defendant, detained him at gun point, and recovered a loaded revolver concealed on the defendant’s person. He was arrested.

Turner’s motion to suppress evidence of the search and seizure of his person and property pursuant to Penal Code section 1538.5 was denied. The court reasoned that, under the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the search was both lawful and reasonable according to the “reasonable suspicion” standard. Ultimately, the defendant pled no contest to possession of a firearm in a school zone. Turner faced imprisonment of two, three or five years on the unlawful possession of a firearm in a school zone charge (Penal Code section 626.9(f)(1)). However, the court suspended his sentence and placed him on felony probation on the condition that he serve 250 days in jail, among other conditions.

What Does this Mean for a Parent at a Child’s Sporting Event?

Threatening to hurt or kill someone using a dangerous or deadly weapon is a serious crime in California pursuant to Penal Code section 1192.7. Even if you don’t possess a firearm when threatening someone, you can be charged with making a criminal threat pursuant to Penal Code section 422. This crime is known as a “wobbler” – meaning, you can be charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony. If you are convicted of a misdemeanor, you face up to one year in county jail. If you are convicted of a felony, you could be sentenced to state prison for up to three years. Making a criminal threat is considered a “strike” under California’s Three Strikes Law. This means that not only do you have a serious crime on your record, but you will also have to serve 85 percent of your sentence if you are sent to prison.

How Can You Protect Yourself?

If you are charged with a crime of either unlawful possession of a firearm, or making a criminal threat, you need to contact an experienced California criminal defense attorney to represent you. By hiring an experienced attorney, you will get the personal attention that you need in your case.

Contact the California Criminal Defense Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich

The criminal defense attorneys at Wallin & Klarich have been aggressively protecting the rights of their clients for over 40 years. If you are facing a crime for allegedly threatening someone (with or without a firearm), you should contact an attorney at Wallin & Klarich immediately. Our experienced and skilled attorneys will thoroughly examine all of the evidence against you and may be able to help you defeat the charges against you. If not, we will argue for a sentence of probation, helping you avoid a jail sentence.

With offices in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Torrance, Tustin, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, West Covina and Victorville, we have an attorney near you who can help. Call us today at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 for a free telephone consultation. We will get through this together.

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