Grand Rapids Gun Penalties

Guns are inherently dangerous, and often viewed as such in Grand Rapids. Because of their inherently dangerous nature, they are carefully regulated, subject of course to constitutional limitations. A lot of people in Grand Rapids may be unreasonably afraid of guns which creates an overall fear-factor.

This is the law enforcement environment and backdrop to which police and prosecutors respond when they enforce gun laws. If you are facing charges, an experienced gun attorney can explain the potential Grand Rapids gun penalties, as well has help you build a defense.

The potential Grand Rapids gun penalties all depend on how serious the offense is. There are misdemeanors that apply and there are felonies that apply. The range of a potential penalties could be anywhere from 93 days all the way up to life in prison if a gun is discharged and kills somebody.

There is a civil infraction if they have a Concealed Pistol License (CPL) and violate the law by carrying their gun in a place that is otherwise prohibited, such as a place of worship or a school, sporting arena hospital or theater, to name a few.

As it relates to the carrying or possessing a firearm, if a person is convicted of a felony, they are not going to be able to possess a firearm at any point in the future and they are not going to be able to get a Concealed Pistol License. Depending on the type of misdemeanor, a person may be precluded from having a CPL for as many as eight years to as few as three years, depending on the seriousness and type of misdemeanor offense.

If a person has a CPL and while carrying a gun commits a drunk driving offense in Michigan, they will lose their CPL for that, and might get charged for carrying under the influence. There are a multitude of other collateral consequences that apply to felonies and misdemeanors. These can be things that impact various life circumstances, such as travel outside of the state, international travel, obtaining employment, obtaining insurance, certain kinds of housing, among other Grand Rapids gun penalties.

The intensity of the prosecution varies from municipality to municipality and from prosecutor to prosecutor. That being said, most prosecutors treat gun offenses very seriously, particularly if there has been an injury to property or person.

The seriousness with which a prosecutor will view the crime will depend on a variety things as it relates to local gun laws as well as the type of injury or damage that occurs.

The firearms laws are complicated and to effectively represent a client, a lawyer must have a lot of expertise and knowledge as it relates not just to the firearm laws themselves but to firearms in general. A person would want to have a lawyer that has knowledge about guns and the potential gun penalties in Grand Rapids.

Having a lawyer that is knowledgeable about both firearms as well as firearms laws will allow that lawyer to be able to use the facts and circumstances and details of the case to find defenses that other lawyers will not be able to necessarily pursue. Also, given that the prosecutor and police will be aggressive in prosecuting the case, it is best to have someone who can stand up for you in court, against all odds, and obtain justice for you.