Florissant Weapons Charges Lawyer

Criminal defense and DWI are the only work we do, and our founding attorney brings more than 25 years of experience with these cases in the St. Louis County courts.

Missouri Gun Laws and When Carrying Becomes a Crime

Since 2017, Missouri has allowed anyone 19 or older who can legally possess a firearm to carry it concealed without a permit (§571.101). Permits remain available and offer benefits like recognition in other states, but they are no longer required to carry. What has not changed is who may not carry at all. A person convicted of a felony, a person under a domestic violence order, and others barred by law remain prohibited, and the permissive nature of the statute does not protect them. Carrying a concealed weapon into a prohibited location (§571.107), such as a school, a courthouse, or a government building, is also a charge on its own, even for someone otherwise allowed to carry. Most weapons charges arise right at these edges, when a person who believes carrying is legal is in fact prohibited, or is somewhere firearms are not allowed.

Unlawful Use of a Weapon in Missouri

Unlawful use of a weapon (§571.030) is the broadest weapons charge. It covers exhibiting a weapon in an angry or threatening manner, carrying a concealed weapon where it is not allowed, possessing a firearm while also holding a felony amount of a controlled substance, and discharging a firearm unlawfully. Most forms are felonies, and the serious discharge offenses, such as shooting at or from a vehicle or into an occupied building, are Class B felonies. We also defend illegal discharge of a firearm and related charges like defacing a firearm and unlawful transfer of a weapon.

Felon in Possession and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

Missouri and federal law bar certain people, including anyone convicted of a felony, from possessing a firearm. Unlawful possession of a firearm (§571.070) is a Class C felony, and it rises to a Class B felony when the person has a prior dangerous felony or a prior unlawful-possession conviction. These cases often turn on two questions: whether the person actually possessed the firearm, as opposed to being near it in a shared car or home, and whether the prior conviction that created the prohibition is even valid. A defective or already-cleared prior may not support the charge at all.

Weapons and Drug Charges Together

Some of the most serious weapons cases arise when a firearm and drugs are found together. Under Missouri law, possessing a firearm while in possession of a felony amount of a controlled substance is itself unlawful use of a weapon, and the two charges are routinely filed side by side. These combinations also draw the attention of federal prosecutors, where a firearm tied to a drug offense can add a separate, mandatory federal sentence on top of the state case. Because the exposure multiplies so quickly, we examine whether the firearm and the drugs can actually be tied to the same person and the same knowing conduct, which is often where these cases are contested.

Armed Criminal Action in Missouri

Armed Criminal Action (§571.015) is charged when a person commits any felony while armed with a deadly weapon, and it is not limited to violent crimes. Its sentence runs consecutively to the underlying felony, adding at least three years on a first offense and more for repeat offenses. Because it stacks on top of the main charge, a single incident can produce two convictions and a far longer sentence than the underlying felony would carry alone. We look closely at whether a weapon was truly used and whether the underlying felony holds up, because defeating one charge can undo the other.

How We Defend Weapons Charges in Florissant

• The search and seizure. Most weapons cases begin with a stop or a search, and the Fourth Amendment limits both. A stop without cause, or a search without a warrant or a valid exception, can lead to the firearm being suppressed, and the charge can fall apart without it.
• Who possessed the weapon. When a firearm is found in a shared car or a shared home, the state must prove that a specific person knew about it and controlled it. Being near a weapon is not the same as possessing it.
• The threatening-manner element. Charges based on exhibiting a weapon require proof it was done in an angry or threatening manner, and context, witness accounts, and video often tell a fuller story than the report.
• The validity of a prior conviction. For an unlawful-possession charge, the prohibition depends on a valid prior, which can sometimes be challenged or shown to have been cleared.
• Lawful authority. In some cases the person had every right to possess or carry the weapon, and the defense is simply proving it.

What a Weapons Conviction Costs

A felony weapons conviction carries prison exposure and lasting consequences, including the loss of the right to possess a firearm under both Missouri and federal law (18 U.S.C. §922(g)). Restoring firearm rights is complicated: an expungement can restore state rights for some offenses while the federal prohibition remains in place, and the two do not always move together. Because the stakes reach a constitutional right, and because a conviction also affects jobs and housing like any felony, these cases deserve careful handling from the very start.

Why Choose Our Florissant Weapons Charges Lawyers

• Criminal defense and DWI are all we do, so we know Missouri’s gun laws and the narrow places where they trip people up.
• Our founding attorney brings more than 25 years of experience in the St. Louis County courts.
• We prepare every case as if it is going to trial and obtain all discovery, especially video, on every case.
• We handle most cases on a flat fee, with flexible payment plans.

Whether a client was wrongly accused or made a mistake, we work to protect their record, their rights, and their future.

Flat-Fee Weapons Defense in Florissant

We handle most weapons cases on a flat fee set at the start, so the cost is clear from the beginning, with flexible payment plans to keep a real defense within reach. Our consultations are free and confidential, and we are available around the clock from our Sunset Hills office, in person, by video, or at the jail when needed. For the local courts and the full range of charges we handle, see our Florissant criminal defense lawyer page.

Free consultations are available 24/7. Call or text any time.

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References

• §571.015, RSMo [Armed Criminal Action]
• §571.030, RSMo [Unlawful use of weapons]
• §571.070, RSMo [Unlawful possession of a firearm]
• §571.101, RSMo [Permitless carry; concealed carry permits]
• §571.107, RSMo [Locations where carrying a firearm is prohibited]
• §556.061, RSMo [Dangerous felony definition]
• §558.019, RSMo [Dangerous felony, 85 percent minimum served]
• 18 U.S.C. §922(g) [Federal firearm prohibitions]