Washington D.C. has some of the most stringent gun laws in the country and any gun possession charges brought against our clients are taken very seriously by our firm and the courts in which they are defended. Much like other states in the country, the District shares a consistent automatic restriction where if a person is convicted of a felony, s/he cannot be in possession of a firearm for any reason.
Now, the penalties attached to violations of these restrictions may become even more harsh, as the local administration seeks to counter what proved to be a deadly year in the D.C. area, as 2018 saw a 40% increase in the homicide rate.
In conjunction with U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu, Mayor Muriel Bowser recently announced that when a felon is arrested on a gun possession charge in Washington D.C., s/he will be prosecuted in federal court — instead of the Washington D.C. Superior Court where these cases were normally tried.
The decision by the Mayor’s office creates an immediate disadvantage for our clients, as Federal Courts generally mandate harsher sentences than those that apply in Superior Court. With a major focus on decreasing the homicide rate, the Mayor’s administration is employing federal authorities to now be involved in gun possession arrests and prosecutions that had historically been the function of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The announcement to move gun possession by a felon cases from Superior to Federal Court has been scrutinized by many and has sharpened our Washington D.C. criminal defense attorneys’ approach to combatting the gun charges our clients face. At Lotze Mosley, LLP our Washington D.C. defense lawyers have successfully defended clients in Federal Court for over two combined decades, and understand that when our clients are facing life-changing gun crime sentences, we must do all we can to protect their rights and their freedoms.
If you have been charged with a gun crime in Washington D.C., contact our Washington gun crimes attorneys at Lotze Mosley LLP today at (202) 759-7365 to understand how we can partner with you to design the best criminal case available for your circumstances no matter where your court hearing takes place.
