Friday, September 30, 2016

Value Subtracted: Be Careful Who Teaches Your Budget CPL Class

I get a call as I'm on the USCCA's attorney referral list, and the caller is looking for an attorney as she has a brand new CPL and wants to be prepared in case something bad ever happens.

We start talking and it becomes quickly apparent there's a real gap in her knowledge of some very basic lethal force law that having taken a class she really should know.

It gets more interesting when I ask whether an attorney or police office covered the use of deadly force and Michigan firearms law section in her CPL class.

I'm halfway expecting to hear it was a police officer that taught that portion, but, "Why no" she says, "just the instructor". That's a bit of a red flag right there especially as the instructor is neither a peace officer nor an attorney.

It also turns out the class was from a GroupOn offer, and she then states he didn't teach the class for the minimum 8 hours, only 4 hours which is yet another very big no-no.

Not only does the state mandate the minimum to be 8 hours, but you really can't teach the required material in 4 hours. Another clue was that the "classroom" portion took place at Panera, and he gave her a certificate that was not from a recognized training organization, just his own thing.

How Wayne County accepted that certificate is beyond me, as they're only supposed to accept nationally or state recognized training programs and this one sure is not. But, apparently they did and issued her the CPL.

Looking at the guy's website, while he claims to be an NRA certified instructor, he's not teaching an NRA certified or sanctioned course or issuing an NRA certificate, and he's not meeting state requirements for a proper CPL class.

But I'm sure the class was a great value for the $60 charged.

Well, not so great a value considering his issuing a certificate to a student for an insufficient class is a felony on his part for each and every certificate he doles out, and the fact that he's now put people on the street with statutorily defective training and improper certifications which is a legal nightmare just waiting to happen for all concerned.

I told her she needs to take a valid CPL class from a legitimate instructor pronto, not to mention report the scam that the fellow has going to the proper authorities.

You get what you pay for, but you may not realize that what you paid for by saving money with a budget class from a cutting-corners "instructor" is exposure to both criminal and civil liability.

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