Delaware: 71 Percent Of Gun Charges Are Not Prosecuted

posted on January 20, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

In Vice President Joe Biden’s home state of Delaware, 71 percent of felony weapons charges filed between 2012 and 2014 were not prosecuted, meaning that in that three-year period, over 8,300 felony weapons charges simply disappeared, the News Journal reports

Even in cases where someone is charged with being armed while committing some other felony, out of more than 5,300 such charges, 80 percent were not prosecuted during that period, according to the 2012-2014 report by the Delaware Criminal Justice Council. 

Prosecutors try to justify their actions by claiming that dropping gun charges sometimes lets them win convictions on other lesser charges, but batting averages aren’t everything: Had Delaware prosecutors convicted two-time convicted felon and murder suspect Mateo Pinkston of the three weapons charges he faced in 2012, Pinkston still would have been in jail when, police say, he shot and killed mother of two Arteise Brown, 25, last year.

Latest

47998130182 A28d32f2e7 K
47998130182 A28d32f2e7 K

Gavin Newsom’s Latest Laughable Claim

The California governor’s comments stand in direct contrast to the policies he has pursued and the comments he has made over the years.

New NRA Partners For Hearing Health

Start Hearing and SoundGear, divisions of Starkey, have partnered with the NRA to promote hearing health among members.

Important Notice To Members: Exercise Your Rights, Assist In The Nomination Of Directors

The NRA Bylaws provide for the election of one-third of the members of the Board of Directors each year. This means that the terms of office of 25 Board members will expire at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Members next year.

NRA Media’s New Executive Director

NRA Media is proud to introduce Mike Sanford as executive director of NRA Media.

The Armed Citizen® July 11, 2025

True stories of the right to keep and bear arms

5 Reasons the Second Amendment Should Not Be Political

The right to keep and bear arms is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. It is not a tool of one political party but rather is a right for all Americans, regardless of their background, income or voting history.



Get the best of America's 1st Freedom delivered to your inbox.