Firearms and/or weapons Investigations generally fall into two basic, fundamental categories: (1) illegal possession of a firearm or (2) illegal delivery or distribution of a firearm. Cases that involve firearms and/or weapons violations may include, but certainly are not limited to, juvenile and/or adult gang violence, armed robbery, drug
crimes or just plain old illegal possession/ discharge of a firearm.
More often than not, a person’s defense for being in illegal possession of a firearm in Washington State will be one of the following: (a) Challenging the search conducted by law enforcement; (b) Challenging law enforcement’s allegation of “actual” or “constructive” possession of the firearm/; or (c) Challenging whether the government can prove that the person actually knew that he was in possession of the firearm. A person charged with illegal possession of a firearm may also be able to successfully defend himself by challenging the credibility of police informants and/or other witnesses involved in the case, critiquing law enforcement’s investigative techniques and/or analyzing evidence such as fingerprints or audio/ video recordings.
As noted above, a successful defense for an illegal weapons possession charge often centers on the search conducted by law enforcement and whether the goverment complied, or otherwise comported, with state and/or federal laws and regulations. Retaining a lawyer who is well versed in all of the relevant state and federal laws concerning search and seizure is thus of paramount importance in mounting a successful defense – the attorney selected must be skilled at challenging issues like “probable cause”, the credibility of confidential informants and/or other witnesses and critiquing law enforcement’s investigative techniques.
No matter the circumstance, the best approach to take when arrested for illegally possessing and/or distributing a firearm in Washington State is to contact a qualified Washington State criminal defense attorney who has knowledge of the Washington State court system and Washington State police procedures. The Seattle criminal attorneys that make up the criminal defense team of SQ Attorneys are highly qualified Seattle criminal defense lawyers that are dedicated to providing top notch, aggressive representation for those charged with committing crime in and around Western Washington. The team creates success by working with law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney’s office to ensure that all facts and circumstances related to the criminal allegations are considered in creating the fairest, most equitable and just resolution possible.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a weapons violation, get the legal protection your constitutional rights guarantee by way of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution; get SQ Attorneys on your side – it will be the best decision you make all day.