# Dog the Bounty Hunter & Firearms **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 7, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-the-bounty-hunter-firearms/566696 "2011-01-07T01:48:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-the-bounty-hunter-firearms/566696/21 "2011-01-08T20:28:51Z")
To clarify something mentioned earlier in the thread, if you are a convicted felon in the US you are not permitted to carry/own firearms ever again? Does it matter on things like - What the charge was?\* - If you served actual jail/prison time? Does this restriction ever lapse, or no more guns for you for the rest of your life? \*So even if say you were charged with Fraud, Embezzling, or other clearly white collar crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-the-bounty-hunter-firearms/566696/22 "2011-01-08T20:35:56Z")
> [@Pearson\_Flyer](#): > > My understanding of the law is yes, unless the weapon is being furnished for the use of the convicted felon. > > Standard “I am not a lawyer” disclaimer. Hence G. Gordon Liddy’s joke that, as a felon, he can’t own a firearm, but that Mrs. Liddy is the best armed woman in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Pearson\_Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pearson_flyer/32/7241_2.png) [@Pearson\_Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearson_Flyer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-the-bounty-hunter-firearms/566696/23 "2011-01-08T20:38:21Z")
Yes, that’s correct, GreedySmurf, unless the state in which you were convicted restores your civil rights. > [@](#): > > Anyone who has been convicted of a felony is banned by federal law from ever possessing “any firearm or ammunition." Specifically a person “convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year” cannot possess any firearm in any location. 18 U.S.C. 922(g) is the federal law that prohibits anyone ever convicted of any felony to ever possess any firearm either inside or outside of his home. The federal punishment for felon gun possession is up to 10 years in prison. [Cite](http://www.suite101.com/content/gun-ownership-by-convicted-felons-a71729) ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-the-bounty-hunter-firearms/566696/24 "2011-01-08T20:55:23Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > It’s been years since I’ve watched the show, but knowing what I know about bondsmen, I’d think that carrying guns would be just plain bad for business. Most of the people Dog hunts are clients of his own bail bond business, people he has a contractual relationship with. He talks to them and their family members and friends all the time. It’s a lot easier to get people to trust you if they can see that you’re **not** going to shoot them if they screw up. And it’s a lot easier to convince people to make their court dates if they think you’re on their side. Less effort than hunting them down, too. This seems the most reasonable to me. A Bail Agency that garners a rep for “gunning for jumpers” is not one that’s going to encourage lots of people to patronize their for-profit business. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-the-bounty-hunter-firearms/566696/25 "2011-01-08T23:44:18Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > For example I’m not aware of any state in which armored truck drivers/guards don’t carry firearms (I know I’ve seen them going in and out of banks in states that otherwise didn’t allow open carry, and the guards were most definitely armed.) I worked Armored for 14 months. No Fucking Way that I would ever have done the job unarmed. Had a customer once demand that we remove our guns before doing her pickup. We advised her that she knew what she was getting when she hired us and she could damn well do the job herself if she didn’t want someone with gun on her premises. Never heard another peep out of her about it. Even anti-gun places like Chicago and DC make exceptions for armored. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-the-bounty-hunter-firearms/566696/26 "2011-01-09T01:55:02Z")
I found it highly amusing when he was picking up some tough guy, he barked out something like: “…and you’d better come along peacefully, or we’ll spray you and not even think twice about it!” Best wishes, hh ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-the-bounty-hunter-firearms/566696/27 "2011-01-09T02:09:22Z")
They have enough bodies and enough non-lethal stuff that carrying guns would just be damned stupid. There simply is NO need. Their goal is to bring in bail jumpers in one piece, not kill them, take them to the hospital, cause property damage or worst case, injure a bystander. All of which would, to quote _Hot Fuzz_ “incur a considerable amount of paperwork” and very probably result in lawsuits. ---
**Author:** ![tsuggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@tsuggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsuggs)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-the-bounty-hunter-firearms/566696/28 "2011-01-10T01:25:39Z")
First, dog and crew carry Pepperball guns, not paint ball markers. Second, he can not possess or have access to any firearm being he is a convicted felon. Finally, as bail bond company owner, I and most others that have to “hunt” down our own skips, do carry firerarms. We can never know what a person may or may not do. A Florida bail agent was just murdered the day after Christmas while trying to pick up a person who only had a failure to appear for a minor violation. How many cops have been killed while making a traffic stop? Plenty. As far as wanting to have a reputation for “gunning” for skips, that does not bother me at all. Ninety nine percent of our clients go to court with no problem. The 1% that skips, most likely had prior FTAs and may be looking at long prison or jail times. So they will do ANYTHING to stay out at long as possible. Almost all states allow some type of carry for bail agents. Either exposed or with a concealed permit. Some states have separate “work permits” for bail agents or recovery agents that allow the carrying of weapons. The vast majority of professional bail agents and recovery agents have extensive training and education in the laws of the states they work in. It is a very common practice for an out of state bail agent to hire a local agent to make the actual pick up or at least have a local agent assist with it. Finally, again the professional agents will notify local law enforcement before attempting an pick up. Very often, the local LE agency will assist or be on standby. What you see on dogs show is so unreal, it is laughable. How hard is it to find someone on an island? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-the-bounty-hunter-firearms/566696.md?page=1)