Defense Attorney Blames Permitless Carry Laws for Client’s Alleged Crimes

The attorney representing a man accused of murder in Mobile, Alabama is pinning the blame for the shooting on the state’s permitless carry law that went into effect almost 2 1/2 years ago. 

Marcus Sanders has been charged with capital murder and first-degree assault for the shooting death of Carl Williams III, which happened during a children’s dance recital at the historic Saenger Theater in the city’s downtown district. While the attorney representing Sanders says his client was acting in self-defense, he also argues that the shooting would never have happened if permitless carry wasn’t in place. 

Chase Dearman, the attorney representing Sanders, said the fact that his client had carried a gun on himself and into the theater was a practice that is allowable under Alabama law.

Sanders, Dearman said, had a clean criminal record prior to Sunday’s shooting.

“I have no idea why our laws allow people to walk around with guns in their pocket, but it’s not illegal,” Dearman said. “Everyone can carry a gun if they want.” 

Asked if his client should have engaged in better conflict resolution, Dearman responded by saying that state lawmakers “ought to make better gun laws.”

“They truly should,” he said, and then accused Williams of attacking Sanders before Sanders allegedly shot and killed him while the dance recital was taking place. 

“It used to be that everyone had to have a license for a gun,” Dearman said. “But for some reason, our legislature thinks it’s wise the entire public can arm itself to the teeth. What happened (inside the theater) is exactly what the legislature, in my opinion, wanted to happen. Why else would you have gunslinger laws?”

I understand that Dearman has a duty to defend his client, but honestly, he needs to come up with a better argument. As the attorney notes, Sanders had no criminal history that would have prevented him from acquiring a license to carry in Alabama if he chose to apply for one, so the permitless carry law had no bearing on the shooting. 

What about Sanders’ ability to carry a concealed firearm into the theater? Well, according to the Saenger Theater’s website, firearms are prohibited, even for those who do possess a valid carry license. While Sanders might have been able to carry a gun if he wanted, he would have been violating the law by doing so in a “gun-free zone.” 

So why is Dearman raging against permitless carry laws when they’re a red herring? I suspect he’s trying to capitalize on the fact that local Democrats are also pointing the finger at the state’s permitless carry law for what happened in the theater last weekend. 

The comments came one day after state Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, and a Mobile mayoral candidate, said she would like to see city leaders in Alabama take a lead to push the legislature to rescind the permitless carry law.

Mobile City Councilman Cory Penn is urging residents to call their state legislative representative to urge them to bring back the gun permits.

“We need those permits back,” he said. Right now, a lot of the time, we get caught up in these party issues—Republican and Democrat. But it’s not that. It’s about saving our community.”

Based on Penn’s comments you’d think that Mobile’s become a war zone since permitless carry took effect. In reality, violent crime has declined by double digits.

Crimes where someone shot into a car or building fell by 42%. Rapes fell more than 28%, robbery, 15% and aggravated assaults, nearly 10%.

Burglary was down 11 and a half percent, larceny more than 31% and car theft fell last year by nearly 24%.

Homicides rose slightly at 15 percent but are already trending lower this year.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin also blamed permitless carry for a sharp rise in homicides in his city last year, but hasn’t had much to say about the fact that homicides are down by about 50% so far this year. Violent crime is also down by 30% in Montgomery compared to the first five months of 2024. 

Permitless carry hasn’t led to Wild West shootouts or anarchy on city streets, and it shouldn’t be blamed for every criminal act involving a firearm… or in the case of Dearman, it shouldn’t be blamed for what he says was really an act of self-defense.