Illinois gun laws are strict which results in thousands of people facing misdemeanor (but mostly) felony gun charges. The most common occurrence that results in felony gun charges is being stopped by the police for a traffic violation which directly results in the search and seizure of a firearm. At The Reese Law Center, LLC we review the video footage of evidence provided by the police and make sure the civil rights of our clients were not violated. If they were, we have successfully fought to have evidence dismissed in court which has led to gun charges being dropped.

Attorney Derrick B. Reese J.D.;LL.M is an aggressive gun lawyer that serves Chicago and the surrounding suburbs defending clients that face serious gun charges.  Illinois has recently implemented a three strike rule which allows prosecutors to seek a life sentence when someone is convicted of a third felony offense. Carrying a gun illegally without a FOID card or Carry and Conceal License can result in felony gun charges.

My client was minding his own business leaving a store and walking through a parking lot where the police were parked. They claimed to have seen a “bulge” in my client’s waistline. They called my client over to them and he ran. The police chased after my client and arrested him. They found a gun in the surrounding area and claimed to have seen my client throw it away. Attorney Derrick B. Reese J.D.; LL.M got the case dismissed because he proved there was no reason for the stop to begin with.

Due to the amount of gun violence in Chicago, Illinois, lawmakers have created strict gun laws to combat gun violence. People facing felony gun charges tend to feel victimized by our legal system. A felony gun conviction in Illinois can stay on your record for the rest of your life and result in mandatory jail time for your first offense. At The Reese Law Center, LLC we believe that gun laws are unfair which causes us to fight hard for our clients.

• UUW – Unlawful Use of Weapons – Aggravated and Non-Aggravated
• Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon
• Discharge of a Firearm – Aggravated and Reckless
• Armed Habitual Criminal
• Armed Robbery
• Armed Violence
• FOID Card Violations
• CCL Violations
• Aggravated Battery with a Firearm
• Unlawful Possession of Firearms and Ammunition
• Gunrunning
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm

If you are facing criminal gun charges for the first time in Illinois, then you are not alone. It can feel overwhelming and scary. Can you serve jail time for first time gun charges? The simple answer is yes. Due to the strict gun laws implemented by lawmaker’s people facing gun charges for the first time with no criminal record absolutely can receive jail time if they are convicted. This is why it is important to have an aggressive criminal defense attorney representing you start to finish throughout the entire legal process and proceedings. If you have been arrested and charged with any type of gun charge in Illinois call Attorney Derrick B. Reese at 708-914-4570. It is extremely important that all first time gun charges are fought to the fullest extend of the law to avoid convictions because if you incur additional gun charges in the future, you could end up falling under the three strike law which can lead to a life sentence.

It is common for those charged with gun crimes that they end up facing multiple felony gun charges at the same time. At The Reese Law Center, LLC we do our best to get some of these charges reduced, dropped, or completely dismissed. No attorney can guarantee any specific outcome to a case, but we always do our best to get the best possible outcome for our clients because Illinois gun laws are strict.

• If you have a valid FOID card, then you could face up to one year in prison.
• If you do not have a valid FOID card and the gun is loaded, then you could face up to 1-3 years in prison. If the gun is not loaded, then you could face 1-3 years of felony probation.

Here are a few different legal defenses that can be brought up in court for people facing weapons charges.

Self Defense – Self defense can be difficult to prove and feel unfair if this really is the circumstance that caused you to face gun charges, however it is legal to use a gun against someone who is attacking you.

Evidence was Illegally Obtained – If a weapon or gun was obtained illegally by authorities then that evidence can be dismissed in court which can lead to your case being dismissed. The police are not allowed to obtain evidence against anyone illegally.

You did not know that a weapon was in your possession – If you can prove that you did not know that a weapon was in your possession, such as the search of a vehicle where someone else stashed a gun, then the case can get dismissed.