Monmouth County Gun Lawyer

New Jersey has extremely tough gun laws and is often particularly harsh on individuals found guilty of gun-related offenses. The penalties resulting from a conviction can impact the guilty party for years, often carrying hefty jail sentences and a criminal record.

If you are charged with breaking a weapons law, it may be imperative that you have a passionate and seasoned legal advocate on your side. A Monmouth County gun lawyer could work to protect you and your best interests in your case.

A gun lawyer in Monmouth County could help protect the rights of their clients to purchase and possess a firearm in New Jersey. They may be able to help with registering and purchasing guns, acquiring handgun carry permits, and appealing gun permit denials.

Furthermore, an experienced attorney should be familiar with the wide variety of criminal weapons charges codified under New Jersey law, including but not limited to:

• Unlawful possession of a weapon (New Jersey Revised Statutes §2C:39-5)
• Certain persons not to possess weapons in NJ (N.J. Rev. Stat. §2C:39-7) 
• Possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (J. Rev. Stat. §2C:39-4)
• Possession of prohibited weapons and devices (N.J. Rev. Stat. §2C:39-3)
• Unlawful disposition of a firearm (J. Rev. Stat. §2C:39-9)

When a resident of Monmouth County is accused of a crime such as possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose or unlawful possession of a weapon, the state prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the charged individual indeed possessed the weapon at the time of arrest.

One potential defense that a Monmouth County gun attorney could put forth in a client’s case is challenging the means by which the arresting officer(s) recovered the gun itself. If the gun is discovered during a vehicle search, the accused individual must have committed a traffic offense or presented some other legitimate reason for law enforcement to stop and search the vehicle without a warrant. If the police are unable to provide a legal reason for stopping and/or searching the vehicle of the accused party, the recovered gun may be ineligible as evidence.

If someone accused of a gun crime in Monmouth County is not a resident of New Jersey, has no prior criminal record, and possesses a permit/license for the weapon in another state, they may be eligible for the Pre-Trial Intervention Program (PTI). PTI is a probationary period comprised of a series of requirements that—if abided by—can result in a dismissal of weapons-related charges at the end of the program.

A Monmouth County gun lawyer can further review the details and prerequisites of the Pre-Trial Intervention Program, as well as other potential defenses against New Jersey gun crime allegations.

Anyone charged with a crime related to guns in the state of New Jersey faces the potential of prison sentences without eligibility for parole and steep fines. If you or someone you love are charged with a gun offense in Monmouth County, consider contacting a Monmouth County gun lawyer as soon as possible to start building the best defense for your case. Call today to schedule an initial consultation.