Weapons Charges

If you have had weapons charges brought against you by federal, state or municipal authorities you need to call Robert J. Callahan. A lot of people in Illinois have weapons in their house or on their person for self-defense. The majority of these people are not criminals by nature. However, many who carry firearms are in violation of the law either due to ignorance or negligence. Ignorance of the law is never a valid excuse in the eyes of the court. However, quite often, people who have good intentions (defending their family) find themselves charged with serious crimes.

Do not assume that judges and juries will be lenient because of your good intentions. Without proper counsel to tell your story you will be viewed as another common criminal.

Another mistake people frequently make is they assume that because bearing arms is a right granted by the second amendment of the constitution they are somehow shielded from prison time and heavy fines. This is not true. The right to bear arms is not absolute. Weapons charges are a serious matter and they need to be dealt with by an experienced attorney.

In Illinois every person who purchases a gun needs to have a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card (FOID). Most lawful weapons owners know this and purchase and update their FOID accordingly. Many municipalities have laws that change during the term of a given FOID card validation. People frequently have a gun that is legally registered with the state but because a local government puts a restriction on hand guns or changes the definition of what is an is not an “assault weapon” which puts them in violation of the law.

Weapons charges are serious. Even if jail time is avoided, if you plea to lesser charges the stain of a conviction can stay on your record and affect employment, home purchases etc. Robert J. Callahan has fifteen years experience navigating the changing gun laws of Illinois. He is a criminal lawyer with extensive courtroom experience. He keeps people off the street and their background clean.