Firearm charges carry significant penalties and long-term repercussions. Prince William County prosecutors take gun charges very seriously and work tirelessly to secure a conviction. Therefore, it is crucial for someone who is facing Prince William County gun charges to seek the services of an accomplished attorney. A dedicated gun lawyer could fight for you and protect your rights. Call today.
The most common gun charges in Prince William County include:
Any of these actions could lead to jail time, expensive fines, and other serious consequences.
The legal concept of possession means that someone both knows about the nature and presence of an object and exerts authority or control over the use of that object. This is the same concept applied in other areas of the law, such as drug possession. Possession can be either constructive or actual in nature, and either single or joint in nature. Possession is not the same as ownership, although the two often coincide.
Under the doctrine of constructive possession, a person does not have to have a gun on their person to be guilty of possessing a firearm. So long as the gun is both known and under the control of a person, it does not matter that the gun is not physically located on a person’s body at the time of possession.
It is very common to be charged with other offenses alongside gun charges in Prince William County since guns are often just a tool used in the commission of other offenses involving drugs or violence. Also, a firearm is commonly used in an armed robbery offense. A gun offense combined with another criminal offense can lead to enhanced penalties.
Building a defense for a gun case varies depending on the particular gun offense charged, the involved facts leading to the charge, and the legal status of the defendant in relation to guns. If the applicable statutes themselves include a legal defense to the charge, then that will be the starting point for the defense. If there is no explicit or obvious affirmative defense to the charge, an attorney will then consider ancillary defense tactics to prevent the prosecution from being able to prove one or more necessary elements of the charge. The building of a defense is usually a team effort between the attorney and the accused at a minimum, if not other relevant parties.
Reach out to an experienced lawyer today if you are facing Prince William County gun charges. Let our team advocate for you.