California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Hall, 167 Cal.Rptr. 844, 28 Cal.3d 143, 616 P.2d 826 (Cal. 1980):
People v. Piper (1980) 103 Cal.App.3d 102, 162 Cal.Rptr. 833, followed this reasoning, on the theory that "(p)ossession of a concealable weapon is not per se illegal; if the jury is not allowed to see the whole picture, jurors may be baffled at being asked to determine guilt on a finding of possession where they may be well aware that mere possession is not an offense." (Id., at p. 109, 162 Cal.Rptr. 837.) 6
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