Common Baltimore Gun Charges 

In Baltimore, an individual can be charged simply by having a gun. If a person has a gun on their person and should not have it at the time, they can be charged. If the gun is inside the person’s vehicle, it can be a chargeable offense. Common Baltimore gun charges can be serious.

There are criminal laws as well as public safety laws. There are various departments that govern hunting and fishing regulations including possession or use of a firearm on those grounds and specifically in that season. There are many laws about guns in the Baltimore, so people should be careful when they have a gun on their person or in their home. Some things also need to be done properly in terms of registration. When someone does not adhere to rules and laws, law enforcement can charge them with an unlawful possession. If you or someone you know is facing issues with a gun charge, contact a seasoned Baltimore gun lawyer.

Common Gun Charges in Baltimore

The most common gun law charge in Baltimore is a handgun in someone’s possession or in their vehicle. While the circumstances may vary, many gun possession charges are charged the same.

For example, a person is pulled over and the officer knows that there is a handgun under the seat. The person may disclose that there is a handgun in the center console. There may be a gun inside a lock box but it is still within reach of the driver or passengers in the vehicle. That is a handgun in their vehicle. If the gun is on someone’s person, that is a handgun in a vehicle and on their person. Those are the most common charges and a substantial number of those charges come from people who are not familiar Baltimore law.

Gun Possession Cases

When a person already has a prior gun file charge and there is another gun charge against them, it is treated more harshly the by a judge. On the first charge, if a person cannot win, that weighs against sentencing.

A person does not necessarily have to have a gun on their person to be charged in Baltimore. The gun can be within the vehicle and not stored properly. When there is a gun in a bag in the back seat, a person can be charged with having a handgun in their vehicle. The law enforcement officer can try to charge them with a handgun on their person. Generally, those citations are written side by side. The gun may not literally be on the person, but they can be charged.

Trends of Baltimore Gun Cases

Common trends in Baltimore gun charges are related to drug activities. Baltimore City, like many other large cities in the United States, has a high murder rate. Reactions from local and state officials are strong in protecting the greater public and removing guns from the streets. The problem is that, while they take a substantial number of guns off of the street, many of them do not come from illegal means. Many people who want to commit crimes can find ways to get guns.

Other States

Guns come in from other states and are sold illegally. In attempt to stem the stream of illegal guns, the authorities make the penalties harsher, including a mandatory minimum for someone that the charge is not designed for. Depending on the county and how they prosecute these cases, a person may be subject to a 30-day minimum penalty with no prior history whatsoever simply because they have a handgun on their person and a judge does not want to give them probation before judgment. If the judge finds the person guilty, they are sentenced to 30 days.

Lobbying

Lobbying groups do not believe that people who are ignorant of law because they come from another state should be penalized. Some of these are people who come in with carry concealed permits. These are former law enforcement officers or even current law enforcement from out of state that travel through Baltimore and do not know the law. They do not take time to look it up, call the Baltimore police, or go to an NRA website to see what laws are in effect along the route they are driving. Common gun charges in Baltimore often occur to individuals that do not know the law.