Weapons Charges

Many weapons crimes in Louisiana involve the illegal possession, sale, or transfer of weapons, and some cases may involve weapons in protected areas.

Different weapons have different definitions in Louisiana. Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:2(3) defines a dangerous weapon as "any gas, liquid or other substance or instrumentality, which, in the manner used, is calculated or likely to produce death or great bodily harm."

Louisiana Revised Statute § 40:1781(5) defines a machine gun as any weapon (including a submachine gun) which shoots or is designed to shoot automatically more than one shot without manual reloading by a single function of the trigger.

Louisiana Revised Statute § 40:1781(3) provides a lengthy definition for a "firearm" that includes a shotgun having a barrel of less than 18 inches in length, a rifle having a barrel of less than 16 inches in length, and any weapon made from either a rifle or a shotgun if said weapon has been modified to have an overall length of less than 26 inches, among other types of weapons.

Louisiana has many different state laws relating to weapons. Some of the most common criminal weapons charges include:

• Unlawful sales of weapons to minors, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:91
• Illegal carrying of weapons, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:95
• Possession of firearm or carrying a concealed weapon by a person convicted of certain felonies, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:95.1
• Illegally supplying a felon with a firearm, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:95.1.1
• Illegally supplying a felon with ammunition, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:95.1.2
• Fraudulent firearm and ammunition purchase, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:95.1.3
• Illegal transfer of a firearm to a prohibited possessor, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:95.1.4
• Carrying a firearm or dangerous weapon by a student or nonstudent on school property, at school sponsored functions, or in a firearm-free zone, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:95.2
• Firearm-free zone; notice; signs; crime; penalties, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:95.6
• Possession of or dealing in firearms with obliterated numbers or marks, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:95.7
• Illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:95.8
• Possession of a firearm or carrying of a concealed weapon by a person convicted of domestic abuse battery and certain offense of battery of a dating partner, Louisiana Revised Statute § 14:95.10
• Handling of machine guns unlawful; exceptions, Louisiana Revised Statute § 40:1752
• Possession or dealing in unregistered or illegally transferred weapons, Louisiana Revised Statute § 40:1785
• Identification with number or other mark; obliteration or alteration of number or mark, Louisiana Revised Statute § 40:1788
• Possession of unidentifiable firearm; particular penalties; identification of source of firearm, Louisiana Revised Statute § 40:1792
• Importation, manufacture, sale, purchase, possession, or transfer of armor-piercing bullets, Louisiana Revised Statute § 40:1811
• Prohibition on the possession of firearms by a person against whom a protective order is issued, Louisiana Revised Statute § 46:2136.3

In Louisiana, specific punishments for crimes are usually denoted within the statutes for those offenses.

Misdemeanors are generally punishable by up to one year in the parish or local jail, but felonies are subject to much longer sentences. Some felony sentences may have minimum and maximum amounts for the number of years a person will be imprisoned, and such sentences can be imposed without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

For example, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit is punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $500, possession of a gun on which identifying marks have been removed can result in five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $1,000, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is punishable by 5 to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of not less than $1,000 and up to $5,000.

Weapons crimes can often be complicated because of the specific circumstances in which a weapon was being carried. Many alleged offenders may have actually had the right to carry their weapons because they were in a protected kind of property or the weapons were otherwise being carried legally.

In other cases, some alleged offenders could be entitled to certain exemptions because of their status as authorized peace officers or members of the United States Armed Forces. Other individuals could have been specifically licensed, authorized or permitted to carry a weapon or firearm.

It is also possible that some people are charged with weapons crimes when the objects involved were not actually weapons. Some cases could also be thrown out when police officers obtain weapons through illegal search and seizure techniques.

Were you arrested in Shreveport, or a surrounding are, a for any kind of weapons crime? Ebonee Norris aggressively defends residents and visitors against criminal charges, and she has experience handling weapons crimes in the state. When you need qualified, compassionate legal help, turn to an attorney who you can trust to put the best possible defense for you.

Contact the Norris Law Group as soon as possible. Call 318-771-7000 or contact us online to schedule a confidential consultation.