Gun Charges And Other Weapons Offences

A weapon is any kind of tool that can threaten or damage people or property. This includes obvious weapons like guns and knives as well as less obvious ones like sports equipment, household tools and toys. Even a shoe or a cup of water can be considered a weapon, depending on how it's used.

Often, our clients come to us with weapons charges that have been added on to other charges, or used to make their alleged crime sound more serious. A theft becomes robbery, or an assault becomes "assault with a weapon," sounding more alarming and instilling more fear in the person charged. Getting bail is more difficult and sentences tend to be longer.

Sometimes the weapons offence isn't related to your arrest, but is used to get more charges against you — for example, if you are charged with impaired driving and are found to have an unlicensed hunting rifle in your car.

Sometimes the weapons charge can stand on its own, such as a gun charge for an improperly stored firearm.

Depending on your priorities and needs, Stephen Bernstein Law Group's lawyers can either plead out your weapons charge or take it to trial and provide you with a thorough defence.

You can trust our trial experience in weapons cases. You may also be able to help us resolve the charge.

Help Us Help You

Regardless of what we do, our advice to you will usually include the following:

• Don't talk to the police: Since many people aren't aware of the details of weapons laws, they may make incriminating statements about their weapons without realizing they're doing so. Have a lawyer present when you talk to police.
• Don't panic: Just because there is a weapons charge against you doesn't mean that it's going to stick. It may be used as a bargaining chip, to get you to plead to other charges out of fear of the weapons charge.
• Know your rights: Many of our clients are unaware that they are in violation of the law with regard to weapons. Others are unaware that there are defences available to their weapons charge. Weapons law is currently in a state of rapid change, and it may be difficult for most people to keep up with what those changes may mean to them.

Contact Bernstein Law Group

If you are charged with any kind of weapons offence, call our Hamilton office at 905-546-1990 or email us.