What if I’m charged with a weapons offense and have never been accused or convicted of a crime before? Do I still need a lawyer?

It remains critical that you take the situation seriously even if you have no prior criminal record. Under New Jersey’s Graves Act, you may be facing a mandatory three-year jail sentence before even becoming eligible for parole while serving a sentence that can range up to ten years. This is the case even if you are a first offender, and this could even be the case if you were charged with being in illegal possession of an imitation handgun. Our experienced weapons offense lawyers can help explore both available defenses and potential alternatives, such as obtaining a Graves Act Waiver, in your case.

What constitutes a weapon that can be the subject of weapons offense charges in New Jersey?

Weapons offenses pertain to more than just firearms. You can also be charged with a weapons offense with respect to knives, slingshots, stun guns, bludgeons and essentially any components that can easily be assembled into a weapon, depending upon the circumstances.

Can I be arrested for driving my legal weapon to the gun range in New Jersey?

Yes. In order to transport a legal weapon, the weapon must be stored in a case in the trunk separately from the gun ammunition. New Jersey almost never issues gun carry permits to private citizens, so this is the only way that you can legally transport a weapon that you are otherwise lawfully entitled to possess.

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Weapons Offenses

New Jersey Weapons Offense Attorneys

Weapons Crime Lawyers in Moorestown, NJ: Arming You with a Formidable Defense in Weapons Charges in Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, and Throughout South Jersey

Under New Jersey law, weapons offenses involve both the illegal possession of legal weapons—including situations where you may have failed to obtain the proper registration or permits—and situations, where a weapon is used in the commission of some other criminal act or possession of the gun, is in and of itself illegal. A state permit is required in order to legally possess an otherwise legal weapon, and certain types of assault rifles are outright prohibited in New Jersey unless subject to a grandfathering provision. The intricate nature of New Jersey’s weapon laws often results in situations where an individual finds himself or herself facing weapons offense charges without even realizing that the relevant actions were of a criminal nature.

Our criminal defense lawyers have over five decades’ worth of collective experience effectively representing clients accused of weapons offenses in Burlington County and throughout the state of New Jersey, so you can rest assured that your case will be handled by a skilled criminal defense team. While other law firms may commonly accept the first plea bargain offered by the prosecution, at Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, we have developed a reputation for fighting tirelessly in weapons offense cases so that we can get the best possible outcome under the circumstances for every one of our clients.

Weapons Crime Lawyers in Moorestown, NJ: Arming You with a Formidable Defense in Weapons Charges in Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, and Throughout South Jersey
Range of Weapons Offense Cases We Handle in Medford, NJ
Arrested on Weapons Offense Charges? You Need a Strong Legal Advocate in Your Corner
Schedule a Confidential Consultation to Discuss Your Weapons Offense Charges with Our Experienced Criminal Defense Lawyers

Range of Weapons Offense Cases We Handle in Medford, NJ

At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, our experienced weapons offense lawyers handle all types of weapons offense charges in Medford and the surrounding areas, including:

Possession of a weapon for use in an illegal purpose, such as robbery,
Unlawful possession of the weapon itself, such as in cases where the defendant had a prior felony conviction,
Possession of an illegal weapon, such as certain types of assault rifles,
Illegal possession of an imitation weapon, such as a BB gun or paintball gun (permitting is required in New Jersey even in cases where the gun is an imitation weapon),
Possession of a rifle or other weapon without the necessary permits,
Possession of a weapon or imitation weapon while in a school,
Failing to surrender a weapon when the court orders surrender, such as while on conditional release.

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Arrested on Weapons Offense Charges? You Need a Strong Legal Advocate in Your Corner

Weapons offenses must be taken seriously in New Jersey, and our team of weapons offense lawyers have the skills necessary to formulate the strongest possible legal defense in your case. In many cases, we may be able to challenge the legality of how law enforcement found the weapon involved in the offense. Police must have probable cause to conduct a search of your property, and if the weapon was improperly obtained in an illegal search, it may be possible to have the charges dropped or reduced, depending upon the circumstances of your case. Other potential defenses include:

Challenges to the police warrant
Challenges to motor vehicle stops which result in searches
Constitutional violations that occurred during the arrest and interrogation
Cases of mistaken identity

It’s important to remember that the prosecution is under no obligation to offer a plea bargain or offer alternatives to formal prosecution in your weapons offense case. It is up to your team of defense lawyers to examine both the prosecution’s evidence and evidence that we uncover in our independent investigation and argue for reduced charges, dismissal or alternative resolution depending upon the circumstances of your case.

At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, our skilled weapons offense lawyers are committed to putting in the work necessary to build the strongest possible defense strategy in your case. One of our attorneys is a former Burlington County prosecutor, so we know what to expect in weapons offense cases and are well equipped to advocate vigorously for our clients.

Schedule a Confidential Consultation to Discuss Your Weapons Offense Charges with Our Experienced Criminal Defense Lawyers

If you have been arrested on weapons charges in Burlington County, Camden County or the surrounding areas, it is important that you retain an attorney with experience handling weapons offense cases as soon as possible to ensure the greatest chance of success. Weapons offense cases are taken extremely seriously in the state of New Jersey, and they can be complicated in any number of ways. Call or contact the experienced weapons offense lawyers at Attorneys Hartman, Chartered for a confidential consultation to discuss options in your case today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Weapons Offenses in Marlton, NJ

It remains critical that you take the situation seriously even if you have no prior criminal record. Under New Jersey’s Graves Act, you may be facing a mandatory three-year jail sentence before even becoming eligible for parole while serving a sentence that can range up to ten years. This is the case even if you are a first offender, and this could even be the case if you were charged with being in illegal possession of an imitation handgun. Our experienced weapons offense lawyers can help explore both available defenses and potential alternatives, such as obtaining a Graves Act Waiver, in your case.

Meet Your Team

Katherine D. Hartman, Esquire

Katherine D. Hartman is the Managing Partner in the Moorestown, New Jersey law office of Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, which has been named one of America’s Best Law Firms by U.S. News and World Report. She concentrates her practice in employment discrimination, criminal defense, police disciplinary matters, and other employment law issues. Katie has been practicing law for over thirty years. She was admitted to the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Bars in 1991, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in November of 1993, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in November of 2002, and the Supreme Court of the United States in October of 2002.

Katie has been awarded the highest (AV) rating for professional ability and high ethical standards, by Martindale Hubbell. Additionally, Katie has consistently been voted a Super Lawyer by New Jersey Magazine. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. She was named one of the Top Forty Lawyers under Forty by the New Jersey Law Journal in 2002.

Michael C. Mormando, Esquire

Michael C. Mormando has been practicing law for over twenty years, and is a Partner at Attorneys Hartman, Chartered. Mike is an active member in the Burlington County Bar Association, he is a former Chair of the Bar Associations’ Criminal Practice Committee, and he formerly served as a member of the Supreme Court of New Jersey District Ethics Committee for Burlington County, District III-B. Mike also served two years as Councilman for Ward 3 in Delran Township, having been elected to the post in the November 2018 general election, and he currently serves as the Chair of the Delran Township Zoning Board.

Mike’s areas of practice include criminal defense, DUI defense, traffic violation defense, employment law, discrimination and whistleblower cases, unemployment compensation appeals, labor representation for collective bargaining units, employment contract review and negotiations, and defense in police disciplinary matters. Mike is approved by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) as a lawyer who can represent law enforcement officers who face disciplinary or criminal charges. Mike also represents small business owners concerning employment issues.

Mark A. Gulbranson, Esquire

Mark A. Gulbranson, Jr., an attorney with Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, has been practicing law for nine years. Prior to joining Attorneys Hartman, Mark was a corporate associate in the gaming practice group of Fox Rothschild, where he represented clients in a range of corporate, regulatory, and real estate matters. Mark served as a judicial clerk for Justice Lee Solomon of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and for Judge George Leone, J.A.D., of the New Jersey Appellate Division.

Mark’s areas of practice include real estate transactions and related litigation, small business counseling and regulatory compliance, domestic violence matters, appellate advocacy, municipal court defense, employment law, discrimination and whistleblower cases, unemployment compensation appeals, employment contract review and negotiations, and defense in police disciplinary matters. Mark handles cases in the New Jersey Superior Court – Law and Appellate Divisions, the New Jersey Supreme Court, the United States District Courts for the Districts of New Jersey and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Office of Administrative Law, the New Jersey Department of Labor, the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and various municipal courts throughout New Jersey.