Connecticut Gun Crimes Attorney

Guns are undoubtedly one of the single most hotly contested issues in our country. However, at this point, it is without question that our federal constitution provides protections to a person’s right to bear arms under the Second Amendment. Although mass shootings and newsworthy stories often leave a perception about firearms in people’s minds, it ignores the substantial number of people who exercise their right to bear arms lawfully.

In Connecticut, the interplay of guns and crime can come across in a few ways. You can be subjected to much more severe penalties if commit “other” crimes, like a robbery or assault, and use a firearm in the process. You can actually be charged with standalone crimes for lawfully possessing a firearm but failing to comply with certain regulatory measures related to firearms possession. Lastly, if you are involved in any type of criminal incident, you could face penalties from the Board of Firearm Permit Examiners in the form of them seeking to revoke your firearm permit or, denying an application to obtain one.

Regardless of which of the above situations you find yourself in, you want to hire the team that is not squeamish about firearm ownership and will seek to protect your rights as best as possible under the circumstances. You want to call the team at Black’s Law Group.

How do guns affect other types of criminal cases?

Punishment. Bottom line, if you use a gun in the commission of a crime, you are likely facing much more serious forms of punishment than other ways in which that crime could have been committed. Typically, this comes in the form of mandatory minimums attaching to the charge, like in the case of Assault and Robbery in the First Degree charges involving firearms. However, on top of this, there are additional “sentencing enhancements” that are separate and distinct from the underlying criminal charges that the prosecution may also bring for involving an automatic rifle or any other firearm in the commission of certain felony offenses.

What are some common gun-specific charges in Connecticut?

Some common types of gun charges and gun cases in Connecticut involve improperly storing firearms despite having a lawful permit to possess them. In other words, these are regulatory crimes meant to limit the dangers that firearms can pose to the public. Unfortunately, violating gun regulations can often involve felony offenses, rather than misdemeanor ones.

Additionally, for those not lawfully permitted, you can be subjected to these same regulatory measures plus an additional felony offense for, as an example, possessing a pistol without a permit. If you are a convicted felon or subject to an active protective order, you may also be charged with criminal possession of a firearm, which carries with it a two-year mandatory minimum period of imprisonment.

What is the Board of Firearm Permit Examiners?

The Board of Firearm Permit Examiners (BFPE) is a regulatory board that oversees processes related to firearms permitting in Connecticut. Although this process also intimately involves local police departments and the State Police Department’s Special Licensing and Firearms Unit, the BFPE is the group that any grievances in the process are brought to. For example, if you have been denied a pistol permit or had your permit revoked, the BFPE is the oversight body that you would file an administrative appeal with to fight that decision.

Whether you or a loved one are facing felony or misdemeanor charges, hiring an experienced attorney to guide you through the process early can save you time, stress, and money. You want to hire the experienced and creative attorneys that understand that the facts are not always black and white. Call the team at Black’s Law Group today for your free consultation and to see how we might be able to help protect not only your interests in the case but also, your rights beyond it, like firearms possession and ownership.