Compiled by Gila Hayes
A warm Network welcome to a nice batch of new affiliated attorneys, including Blake A. Payne who joined our Network Affiliated Attorney group after “press time” for this column on the final day of September. Mr. Payne practices in Jasper, AL, and in approaching us at the Network, expressed his interest in being able to be a resource to other armed citizens. I believe the Network’s advertising outreach is paying off in more than just increased membership. It has raised awareness of the Network among practicing attorneys and we are getting a lot more contacts from attorneys instead of our usual task of reaching out to the attorneys and introducing a new organization about which they’ve never heard.
Louis C. La Pietra, of White Plains, NY, who came highly recommended by a Network member, who is also a retired law enforcement officer (see his website http://www.excoplawyer.com). We are always grateful when Network members recommend their criminal defense attorney to the Network for affiliation. It works really well when the member can pave the way by explaining to their attorney why they value their Network membership and how their attorney can both assist the Network and gain the benefits of Network membership for himself or herself.
We were assisted in a similar fashion when a Kentucky firearms instructor suggested that attorney William Smallwood of London, KY should call and offer to affiliate with the Network. While much of Mr. Smallwood’s firm’s income derives from business and tax matters, he and his colleagues are well able to represent a member in the immediate aftermath of self defense, he assured me when we spoke by phone.
Coming to us from Southern Oregon, our latest Affiliated Attorney, Gregory T. Day, practices family law, criminal defense, social security disability and general civil litigation, and is even a past president of his county’s bar association. A Lt. Col. in the Oregon Army National Guard, where he serves as Executive Officer of the 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry, he has served our country in the Sinai, Afghanistan, New Orleans and Iraq. I was amused to read a biographical piece he published in his state’s bar journal, entitled Guns, Goats and Justice in Afghanistan. I think you may enjoy it, too. See http://roguefirm.com./the-firm/gregory-day/guns-goats-and-justice-in-afghanistan.
One Affiliated Attorney’s relationship with the Network brought us a new affiliated attorney in a neighboring state. Our Affiliated Attorney in the Spokane, WA area had worked on a case with Joseph R. Sullivan, an attorney across the state line in Post Falls/Coeur d’Alene and Hayden, Idaho. Thus informed of the Network’s mission to protect armed citizens after use of force in self defense, this former Idaho State Patrol trooper turned attorney offered to be available to Network members in North Idaho. We are delighted to add his experience, skills and knowledge to our base of resources along with all the other new Affiliated Attorneys. Welcome, gentlemen!
Our little community of shooters is quite closely related when you consider how many times one of our Network affiliates can be found working hand in hand with another. A good example comes from Colorado where rifle builder Keith Everett, who’s been an Affiliated Instructor with the Network for several years, teamed with our Advisory Board member John Farnam in creating the signature FSM4 Rifle. This .223 M4/AR-15 rifle is set up to Farnam’s exacting specifications and each rifle ordered is test fired by Farnam, as well. It includes an Aimpoint red dot optic, folding back up iron sights, Robar finish, several hand guard choices and an optional weapon light. For a serious rifle that is all set up and ready to go, contact Keith by e-mail at
Keith and M4 Precision, LLC also offer a variety of classroom and range instruction, including NRA Basic Pistol Classes, Advanced Pistol and Rifle Courses, as well as individual instruction for customers based on their personal firearm choice, in order to achieve a more specialized knowledge of the finer details and nuances associated with a given firearm.
Our Gresham, Oregon affiliated instructor Tony Kriss of Advanced Firearms Training is expanding his teaching outreach. In addition to his popular Laser Shot simulator classes, he and his instructor, retired LEO Leland Rowley, also teach concealed pistol licensing classes for the Oregon, Utah and Nevada permits. They also offer a variety of National Rifle Association courses, ranging from the popular Refuse to be a Victim class to range safety officer training, personal protection classes and other basic introductory courses. Advanced Firearms Training also operates a full service gun shop at 1121 NE Division St., Gresham, OR, selling firearms, ammo, and all the accessories. Call on Tony and his crew at 503-912-1842 or browse their website at http://www.aftusa.net/about.html.
Our Affiliated Instructor John Pemberton of Spartan Dynamics in South Bend, IN is busily splitting his time between work as a manager at South Bend’s Kodiak Firing Range and Training Facility and teaching a full curriculum of gun safety, women’s only sessions, MI, FL and UT concealed carry license training, rifle and shotgun classes, low light training, knife defense and hand to hand defense skills. Owner and chief instructor John Pemberton is a USMC vet, multiple black belt holder, and certified firearms instructor in a variety of disciplines. Learn more at John’s website http://dynamicspartan.com/courses/ or give him a call to talk about your training needs at 574-387-2282.
Our affiliate Jimmy Minor is busy teaching concealed carry courses and operating his gunshop Granville Gun Works in Creedmoor, NC. He recently asked for more copies of our Foundation’s booklet What Every Gun Owner Needs to Know About Self-Defense Law for both his NC concealed carry students and visitors to his gun shop. We happily sent along a fresh supply. If you’re in the market for a pistol, rifle or shotgun, need holsters, gun cases, ammo or other parts for any of those, cleaning equipment, optics, knives or all the other bits and pieces that fill out your defense inventory, check them out at http://www.granvillegunworksonline.com, e-mail questions to
Now that November’s here, something that has been on my To-Do list for a long time is coming up quickly. Affiliated Attorney Andrew Branca travels around the country teaching his Law of Self-Defense seminars. This November, I am finally in a position to go and learn from him when he teaches this popular program in Sherwood, OR. This instruction is important enough to merit one of my days off work during elk season! To make it doubly cool, this seminar is hosted by Network Affiliated Instructor Ryan Tuttle of Threat Dynamics. (See details at http://lawofselfdefense.com/event/losd-seminar-portland-or-1003/) I’ve got a car full of some of my closest friends also registered and we are going to head out early in the morning and spend the day learning about self-defense law in Washington and Oregon from Andrew. I’ll tell you all about it in next month’s eJournal!
Andrew teaches this program all across the nation, so check out the discount he offers Network members at http://armedcitizensnetwork.org/members/coupons and don’t miss the opportunity to learn about the law of self defense in your state.
I always enjoy sharing news tidbits I’ve heard from our affiliates, so folks, please send me an email if you have any special events like open houses, special seminars and classes or other interesting tidbits that we can announce for you in this column. If announcing an event, about 60 days advance notice is best since we publish only once a month.
Also, please let me know when you need more copies of the Armed Citizens’ Educational Foundation’s booklet What Every Gun Owner Needs to Know About Self-Defense Law and our tri-fold brochures by emailing me at
We’re all in this together, so let’s work as a team to get the word out so armed citizens in your community have a better understanding of lawful, judicious use of deadly force and what to expect in the aftermath.
Click here to return to November 2015 Journal to read more.