Columbia Gun Lawyer
In Columbia, MD, if you buy or sell a gun without proper authority, carry a weapon without a permit, or use a weapon where use is not permitted, you could face misdemeanor or felony criminal charges. A Columbia, MD gun lawyer can provide you with assistance in responding to those charges.
Those who live in or visit Columbia, MD need to understand what their rights are when it comes to owning and carrying guns. The Second Amendment does not provide absolute protection for your right to possess or carry a firearm and Maryland has imposed some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Call our a Columbia criminal attorney today if you’re looking for a legal advocate to help you respond to your charges. En Español.
Should You Get Help from a Gun Lawyer?
Conviction for a gun crime can change your life. You can be left with a criminal history that shows up when school, employment, or volunteer opportunities require a background check. When you wish to obtain a legal weapon in the future or a permit to carry a weapon, your past conviction can make that impossible. Spending time in jail after conviction is a very real possibility and you could face fines and costs that are prohibitively high.
The job of a Columbia, MD gun lawyer is to help you respond in a proactive, strategic, and informed way to gun charges with the goal of avoiding or reducing penalties. Sometimes, your attorney will be able to get the prosecutor’s evidence thrown out and the charges dismissed prior to a court trial. Your Columbia gun attorney could also help you convince a jury to find you not guilty or convince a prosecutor to let you plead down your charges.
The outcome of your case will be determined by many factors, including the specifics of the charges and the kinds of evidence collected by law enforcement to prove you broke the law. Having a legal advocate in the form of a Maryland gun lawyer on your side is going to give you the tools you need to try to fight for the most favorable outcome possible.
Gun Laws in Columbia, MD
Under Maryland law, the use of a gun in other crimes can be an aggravating factor leading to more serious charges. For example, assault in the second degree under Maryland Code Section 3-203 automatically becomes assault in the first degree under Code Section 3-202 as soon as any firearm is used including a handgun, shotgun, antique firearm, or rifle.
The difference in penalties is dramatic. Assault in the first degree could lead to a maximum of 25 years imprisonment if convicted, whereas second degree assault has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Maryland Code Section 4-204 also imposes a penalty of between five and 20 years imprisonment for using a firearm in the commission of any crime. This is in addition to, and separate from, any other penalties for the crime the gun was used in.
Under Maryland’s strict gun laws, a defendant can be charged with a crime even if he does not use a gun, but if he simply carries it, stores it, or buys it in a manner prohibited by law. Code Section 4-104, for example, makes it a crime with a $1,000 penalty just to store a weapon in a location a child could access without authorization.
Get Help from a Columbia, MD Gun Attorney
Because there are so many gun laws in Maryland, it is easy to run afoul of the law. If you are charged, you deserve to get top-notch legal advice so you can try to ensure your life is not changed forever due to a conviction for a weapons offense. Contact a Columbia, MD gun lawyer as soon as possible when you are questioned for a gun crime or arrested in Maryland.