There has been much discussion about gun laws in Philadelphia recently on both sides of the argument. Regardless of the discussions, guns remain legal and there are many people who legally own them. Some people own them in order to protect themselves and their families, while others own them for hunting or sport.
However, there are many other individuals in Philadelphia who have lost the right to possess a gun. Most of these people have been convicted on one or more criminal charges and have lost the right to own a gun under the terms of their release. Some of the crimes that come with the penalty of loss of gun rights including violent crimes, gang-related activity and robbery. However, there is a long list of crimes that carry this penalty. In some cases, people who have been accused of domestic violence may temporarily lose the right to own firearms even before their case has gone to trial.
If a person who has lost the right is caught possessing a firearm, he or she may face severe consequences, including potential jail sentences. Simply being charged with illegal gun possession does not mean that the person is automatically guilty, though.There may be defenses available to an accused individual, which start with whether the police legally searched the individual, his car, or his home.
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and this guilt must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, those accused of a gun crime should consider every defense strategy available to them, as choosing the right defense path, which may include attempting to suppress evidence, couldallow an individual to avoid harsh penalties.
Source: Pennsylvania State Legislature, “Title 18 section 6102,” accessed on Feb. 6, 2017
