Butterfly Knife Law Angers Parent

A Colorado Springs father is putting out a warning to all parents about a legal nightmare his son just went through.

David Sikes said his son avoided prison time but received two years of probation Friday for possessing a butterfly knife at school. It’s a purchase anyone over the age of 18 can make, but it’s not legal to carry in the state of Colorado.

“I told him ignorance of the law is no excuse; that’s the law,” said Sikes. “But, he bought it in good faith thinking that if he bought it in the mall, it must be a legitimate weapon or item to purchase.”

Technically, gravity knives, such as butterfly knives, are legal to purchase. A spokesman for Naked Edge Cutlery said his company tells everyone who purchases a gravity knife about the distinction between owning one and carrying one.

Sikes said his son is bipolar and wanted to carry the kind of knife he sees in martial arts movies as a pocket knife. Though his son was caught with the knife at school, Sikes said he wasn’t using it in a threatening manner. He pulled out the knife to open a can of soup in a cooking class. The teacher saw it and reported it.

Sikes’ son was originally charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon on school grounds and unlawful possession of a weapon. The school grounds charge was dropped, but the 18-year-old had to plead guilty to the misdemeanor. Sikes said it’s ruined plans his son had for the immediate future.

“I would like to send (the store) a bill for the lawyer fees, the court fees for the two years my son’s life is going to be put on hold,” said Sikes.