No Hunting for You…

Photo of Stephen E. Palmer

Spring is in the air. And to many folks that means turkey season. The first time out, the woods are waking up, time to dust off the hunting gear and pattern in that shotgun.

But not for those accused of a violent crime or a felony. If someone has a pending felony charge, even if not convicted, they probably cannot carry or possess a firearm. That includes the old turkey shotgun.

A misdemeanor offense of violence creates the same problem. So someone convicted of a simple assault or a domestic violence cannot possess a firearm.

This is a big problem for many people who were raised on hunting. Folks who understand what it’s like to be in the woods on opening day.

The point is this: Don’t think you can go in and just plead guilty to something to get it over with quickly. That might be the quickest, easiest, and cheapest solution. But it can create long-term, life-changing problems.

As an Ohio criminal defense attorney, I often get calls from someone who just found out that they can’t posses a firearm because they pled guilty to something without first talking to an experienced criminal attorney. But the bell has already rung. Now we have to scramble to fix a problem that might have been avoided.

Don’t just plead guilty “to get it over with.” Call a lawyer. Call a friend who knows a lawyer. Call a friend of a friend who once knew a friend who knows a lawyer. Get sound legal advice before making critical decisions.