Champaign County Weapon Crimes Lawyer
Although the Second Amendment protects a person’s right to possess a firearm, both Illinois and the federal government heavily regulate guns. If you use a gun unlawfully, or if a gun is part of a crime, you could face serious penalties. Many people not only go to jail for a weapons offense, but they lose the ability to possess a gun even after they’ve completed their sentence.
Contact Patel Law, PC. We understand the laws on weapons and will use our experience to defend you against these charges. One mistake with a handgun shouldn’t send you to jail or lead to the forfeiture of your gun rights. Call us to speak with a Champaign County weapons offenses lawyer today.
Were You Charged With a Weapons Offense?
We can step up and defend anyone accused of a state or federal weapons charge, such as:
- Felon in possession of a firearm
- Unlawful use of a weapon
- Reckless discharge of a firearm
- Illegal transportation
- Assault with a deadly weapon
- Armed robbery
A weapons offense can be charged from a Class A misdemeanor all the way up to a Class X felony. It is not unusual for those convicted to spend time behind bars. In our experience, many judges are unsympathetic to those accused of using a gun illegally—and defendants pay the price with long and burdensome sentences.
We can also defend against weapons enhancements. For example, if you commit a robbery with a gun, you face much more severe penalties than if you robbed someone without a weapon. Years can be added to your prison sentence, even if you didn’t discharge the gun during the commission of the crime.
Defending these cases requires deep experience in the relevant law. Often, police uncover a weapon from a vehicle or a backpack—meaning, you didn’t use the weapon but it was present at the scene of a crime. Sometimes we can argue the police performed an unlawful search and seizure because they lacked probable cause that you had committed a crime. In other cases, a search warrant might be defective because it likewise wasn’t backed up by probable cause.
Some weapons offenses revolve around how carefully you were using the weapon. For example, reckless discharge of a firearm requires “recklessness,” which is defined as a “conscious disregard” for the safety of others or grossly negligent conduct. Depending on the facts, we might argue your conduct wasn’t all that egregious and that you used appropriate care.
Keep Your Freedom and Your Guns
Our founder is a former federal prosecutor who understands the “War on Guns” that seizes many Illinois officials. He can use his experience to advocate for your freedom and vigorously advocate that you did not break the law. Anyone facing weapons charges needs an experienced criminal defense lawyer in their corner. Don’t expect the prosecutor to give you a break or a second chance. Contact our Champaign County, Illinois weapons offense lawyer today to review your legal options and begin mounting a defense on your behalf.
