It’s not always easy to stay on top of the ever-changing weapons laws in states like North Carolina. If you’re caught unawares, you may find yourself facing life-changing weapons charges. You need to address these charges if you want to keep the related criminal consequences from upending your plans for the future.
You don’t need to be well-versed in weapons law, however, to fight back against the charges the state’s placed against you. You can call on a weapons charges defense lawyer in Cornelius, instead. King Law can connect you with the professional team that can best represent your case in North Carolina.
Your right to bear arms in the United States is protected by the United State Constitution’s second amendment. That said, each state can enact its own laws regarding when you might brandish a weapon and/or otherwise interact with a firearm. In North Carolina specifically, you need to indicate that you’re eligible to own a firearm before ever coming into contact with one.
North Carolina’s specific eligibility requirements include:
If you fail to meet any of the following standards, you may face weapons charges in North Carolina. The state also has the right to take action against you if it suspects you of:
You must be a certain age to purchase and own a firearm. Before you purchase a firearm in North Carolina, the state expects you to secure a license to do so, which you’ll be required to keep with you if you want to avoid criminal charges.
You are also expected to pursue a conceal-and-carry license if you want to take a firearm out in public. If you’re caught concealing a firearm without a license to do so or attempting to purchase a firearm without the state’s permission, you may face criminal charges.
What’s more, if you’ve been convicted of domestic violence or otherwise prohibited by a court from purchasing weapons, attempting to come into contact with a firearm can see you violate your parole or open yourself up to a criminal suit.
“Larceny of a firearm” describes circumstances in which you illegally obtained a firearm without its true owner’s knowledge. North Carolina processes larceny of a firearm charges under its broader larceny statutes. This means that accusations of larceny of a firearm open you up to felony charges and their related fines.
You may see larceny of a firearm charges compounded against you if you’re accused of stealing additional assets at the same time as the firearm or using the firearm without a proper license. You can discuss how these charges tend to stack on one another during a case consultation with a weapons charges defense attorney.
Recklessly firing a firearm that you own and have a license for can still constitute a felony in the eyes of North Carolina law enforcement. If you’re accused of purposefully, accidentally, and/or recklessly firing or trying to fire a weapon, North Carolina law enforcement can charge you with a Class E felony.
If you fire a weapon to intimidate someone, you may face assault charges as well as unlawful discharge of a firearm. In combination, these charges can put you at risk for Class F felony consequences.
The state can also bring weapons charges against you if you’re accused of concealing and carrying a weapon in such a way as to violate the state’s open carry or concealed carry policies.
Specifically, North Carolina’s open carry policy states that while every gun owner over 21 may carry their weapon in public, parties without the appropriate licenses cannot obscure those weapons with clothing or in bags. You are also prohibited from taking weapons onto property marked with “no weapons” signs, including school campuses or restaurants serving alcohol.
You can conceal a weapon only if you have a concealed carry license on you at the time you’re transporting a weapon from one location to another. Even in these cases, you are not permitted to bring a weapon onto property that has banned them. Similarly, a concealed carry license does not give you the right to violate any of the state’s other handgun laws.
As you can see, there are several weapons charges that the state can bring against you if it believes it has the evidence to do so. The good news, however, is that Cornelius weapons charge defense attorneys know how to address each of these unique cases.
Our team fights to have the weapons charges brought against you reduced or dropped by pointing out oversights in the prosecution’s case. We can discuss the best possible approach to your weapons charges case during an initial consultation.
North Carolina takes its weapons charges seriously because it wants to keep its residents safe from harm. Even so, there are times when what appears to be the inappropriate use or possession of a weapon is not what it seems. If you feel you’ve been a victim of this misrepresentation of facts, you can let our office know.
King Law offers comprehensive criminal defenses to North Carolina residents in need. To schedule a consultation with our Cornelius, NC, weapons charges defense lawyers, you can contact us via our contact form or by calling (888) 748-5464 or (888) 748-KING.