What Are The Common Types Of Weapons Charges That Your Firm Handles In Michigan?

In Michigan, weapons and guns charges are prevalent, mainly since in Ingham County and the surrounding counties, officers are looking for evidence of these types of crimes in every traffic stop and interaction they have with citizens. The charges can range from misdemeanors up to felonies, but the penalties can be very hefty. For example, you could be charged with anything from carrying a concealed weapon, which is a misdemeanor, up to a felony firearm, and it only gets worse from there. To give you some perspective on it, someone with a felony firearm conviction has to serve a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, making it more crucial that you find an attorney who understands the nuances and subtleties of Michigan gun law and can mount a successful defense. Vuckovich Legal takes much pride in getting the best results possible for our clients. 

Can I Get Probation For A Gun Charge Conviction In Michigan? 

A common concern from clients is the best possible outcome for their gun charges. The answer is, unfortunately, that it depends on your circumstances. Is probation a realistic outcome in certain circumstances? Absolutely, and for many clients that have come to me thinking that they were almost certainly going to go to jail or prison, I’ve been able to procure probationary setups for them, and it’s always a situation that people are happy with. Avoiding jail time is the number one goal in any criminal case. Still, as seriously as gun crimes are taken in Ingham County and the surrounding counties like Eaton and Clinton, it can be challenging to avoid jail time. It takes an attorney who has handled these types of cases time after time to secure the best result. 

What Are The Concealed Carry Laws In Michigan?

Without a permit, you cannot carry a gun unless it is only visible to absolutely everyone else in public. So, any time somebody conceals a weapon by putting it into their pocket, firearm, or other weapons, it can be considered concealed. The definition of a weapon in Michigan is very broad. But once an article of clothing conceals that weapon in one way or another without the necessary license to do so, you are committing a severe crime in Michigan. 

Is Open Carry Legal In Michigan? What Does That Mean?

Open carry is legal in Michigan, which is when somebody carries a firearm or another weapon in a fashion that is open and visible to everyone in public. You may have seen this or run into this at a large shopping center, which is where many people are seen open carrying, and in Michigan, there is a bit of a stigma attached to it. Many people are threatened or feel scared of the people who are open carrying. In reality, those people are exercising a fundamental right to the way this country operates. 

What Charges Could Someone Face If Caught Possessing A Firearm Without A License In Michigan?

The types of charges that someone could face when caught carrying a firearm illegally are quite vast. The police have much discretion, and the prosecuting authorities in Michigan have a lot of leeway in charging certain crimes. A great example of that is the fact that if you possess a firearm while in the commission of another crime, especially if that another crime is a felony, then that possession of a weapon can be used against you to convict you of a felony firearm which carries a mandatory minimum of two years in prison. This is true even if the crime you committed had absolutely nothing to do with a gun and you did not use the firearm in the commission of the crime. The fact that you possessed it illegally while doing something else that is considered a crime in Michigan will land you in boiling water.

Is Carrying A Firearm While Intoxicated Against The Law In Michigan? What Charges Could Someone Face For Doing So?

Carrying a weapon while intoxicated is a violation of Michigan law and the types of charges you can face are vast. However, prosecuting officials in the state of Michigan have a lot of leeway in the way they charge crimes that are associated with guns. So, even if you did not use the firearm and you are caught doing something while under the influence of alcohol that you are not supposed to be doing, such as driving, you can be charged with the ever fear-inducing charge of felony firearm, which is a crime that carries with it a minimum of two years in prison. It has been criticized much, if not more, than any other weapons charge in Ingham County and the surrounding counties in the last 15 to 20 years. 

What Are The Potential Penalties For A Weapon/Firearm Conviction In Michigan?

Unfortunately, under Michigan law, you can go to prison for certain violations of the weapons laws, and that is why it’s so essential to have an attorney who has done these types of cases repeatedly in the past because there are many subtleties and nuances to Michigan weapons laws that every practicing attorney in the state does not understand. So, the more experience your attorney has in these types of cases, the more of an opportunity there is going to be for you to get a result that is not common and get something that sets you up for success in the future so that you can move on with your life and leave the criminal justice system behind. 

Why Do I Need To Hire An Experienced Weapons Defense Attorney To Represent Me In My Weapons Charge Case?

Suppose you’ve been charged with a weapons crime in Lansing, Ingham County, or the surrounding counties like Eaton or Clinton County. In that case, you know that the authorities take these crimes incredibly seriously. You have likely already been contacted by the police, if not multiple times, at least once to ask for statements and have found yourself at the wrong end of a lot of investigatory activity by the state of Michigan. So, if you do receive charges for a crime in this area of the law, rest assured that you will be at the wrong end of a very vigorous prosecution that seeks the most severe penalties for you. They are going to try to put you in prison; they will try to have you do jail time. 

You will be subject to substantial fines and a myriad of other tactics that will make your life miserable. So, the only way to avoid that, the only way to get out in front of that, the only way to mitigate that at all is to have an attorney who has been through it many times before and knows how to navigate the very delicate and challenging nature of these types of charges. 

For more information on Weapons & Firearms Charges In Michigan, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (517) 409-1177 today.