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Preparing for Trial in a DC Gun Case

In a criminal trial for a DC gun charge, it is important that the person charged has a complete understanding of the process and their attorney is prepared with any evidence the defense wants to present. There may be witnesses called by the defense or the person may testify if they choose to do so after being advised by their counsel.

An individual can often become overwhelmed when preparing for trial in their DC gun case, which is why it is necessary that they obtain the legal guidance of an experienced gun lawyer in DC. A knowledgeable attorney can help them understand how to navigate their defense in order to assist in lessening any potential penalties.

Functional Definition of a Gun

In the District of Columbia, a firearm is defined as any weapon, whether it can operate or is functional, that is designed, redesigned, converted, or repaired in some way to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive. In other words, the firearm uses a cartridge to fire a bullet. It does not have to actually be a bullet, but any projectile. The most common projectile for a firearm is a bullet.

That includes a rifle that no longer works if it was designed to shoot a projectile. It includes antique firearms, homemade firearms, and homemade guns. A firearm is defined very broadly in DC by design. The DC gun statutes are extremely harsh and broad. They want to capture anything that could conceivably be considered a firearm. It is crucial that an individual understands this definition when preparing for their trial combatting a DC gun charge.

Initial Preparations

When a person facing charges chooses to testify, an experienced criminal defense attorney does not let them go into court and testify unprepared. The defense attorney goes over the person’s testimony to ensure that their client understands how the questioning goes forward.

The lawyer reviews what their client can expect in cross-examination from the government and what questions they might receive from their own counsel and the prosecutor. These are all critical preparations for going forward with the trial.

When there is a trial, all of the investigation is completed and the negotiations are done. The lawyer is ready to challenge the government’s evidence, their case against the defense, and present their defense to rebut the claim and charges against the claim. It is important that both an attorney and their client are properly prepared before heading into trial against a DC gun charge.

Specific Firearms

There are certain things that are not considered to be firearms. They are destructive devices where the penalty for possessing those is harsher than possessing a firearm. For example, devices used by the Coast Guard for throwing lines to another boat or to a man overboard are exempt. There are construction or industrial articles and implements similar to a rivet gun.

There are certain rivet guns that use explosive rivets. Those are also exempt from the definition of a firearm because they not intended to fire bullets. However, because they fire projectiles, they need to be specifically excluded.

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