Georgia Criminal Law – Pointing a Pistol at Another
Responsible gun ownership requires education and care. In 2020, there were 98 unintentional gun related deaths in Georgia, 33 more than the previous year.[1] In an effort to eliminate these unintentional deaths and protect the public, the Georgia legislature enacted O.C.G.A. § 16-11-102.
The Offense
O.C.G.A. § 16-11-102 makes it a criminal offense to “intentionally and without legal justification points or aims a gun or pistol at another, whether the gun or pistol is loaded or unloaded.”
Proving the element of intent is key in prosecuting this offense. The accidental or unintentional pointing of a weapon at another is not an offense. Parsons v. State, 16 Ga. App. 212 (1915). To aim a weapon at another is to point it intentionally. Livingston v. State, 6 Ga. App. 805 (1909). Intent may be inferred from the circumstances surrounding the pointing. Hawkins v. State, 8 Ga. App. 705 (1911).
This offense is distinguished from the offense of aggravated assault in that if the pointing of a firearm places the victim in reasonable apprehension of immediate violent injury, then the felony of aggravated assault, rather than the misdemeanor of pointing a gun, has occurred. Overton v. State, 305 Ga. 597 (2019); Savage v. State, 274 Ga. 692 (2002). But, simple assault and pointing a gun or pistol at another are both misdemeanors and included in greater crime of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Morrison v. State, 147 Ga. App. 410 (1978).
Punishment
A conviction under O.C.G.A. § 16-11-102 results in a misdemeanor. The maximum punishment is 12 months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine or both. The sentencing judge also has the authority to impose additional terms and conditions such as community service, firearms safety course, etc.
Contact Us
If you or someone you know has been arrested, contact the law firm of W. Scott Smith at 404.581.0999 today for a free case evaluation. You’ll find a local Atlanta attorney ready to aggressively fight on your behalf. You can also find out more detailed information about Atlanta laws here.
[1] https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/congress/ga
