Out of State Man Avoids Felony Firearm Charge

Crimes often vary between states and if someone is charged with a crime outside of their home state, it is essential to consult an attorney with extensive knowledge of the local laws and has experience handling similar cases. Recently, the Ohio defense attorneys with Luftman, Heck & Associates assisted a man from Louisiana who wound up in a precarious legal position, while he was in Ohio for business.

Allegedly, the man became involved in an argument with another individual and brandished a firearm that he kept in his car before leaving the scene of the altercation. The incident was reported to police and in short order the man was pulled over and after finding the gun, he was charged with a fourth-degree felony for improperly handling a firearm in motor vehicle. This certainly came as a quite a shock because unbeknownst to him, because while in Louisiana a person does not need a permit to carry a firearm in their automobile, it is a requirement in the Buckeye state. The man was now faced with the possibility of spending time in jail and up to a $5,000 fine in addition to a felony firearm conviction on his permanent criminal record, which seriously amplified the situation since a felony conviction, even if no jail time was involved would put his career in jeopardy.

After explaining his strong desire to avoid a felony conviction and remain employed, the experienced firearm defense attorneys with LHA discussed the case with the prosecutor and negotiated to have the felony firearm charge reduced to a misdemeanor level offense. This lesser charge would not include jail time or probation, and after a year, he would be eligible for an expungement. Additionally, due to our adept capability to have the firearm charge amended to a non-felony conviction with no jail, his client no longer needed to worry about losing his job.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case. Individual results may vary based on the facts, injuries, jurisdiction, venue, witnesses, parties, and other factors. The results and client testimonials provided are not necessarily representative of the results obtained by all clients or their satisfaction with the firm’s services.