Federal prosecutors have made prosecution of gun crimes a major priority over the past few years. Federal Gun laws prohibit certain people with prior convictions, substance abuse history or domestic violence protective orders against them as well as many other categories of people from possession firearms. These laws prohibit possession of certain types of guns, they prohibit interstate transportation of guns and regulate who may purchase guns and from whom. These laws are quite extensive and complex.
Are you facing a Federal criminal gun crimes investigation, have you received a “target letter” from an Assistant United States Attorney or a Federal Grand Jury Subpoena, had a Federal Search Warrant executed at your work or home, or actually been arrested by Federal authorities?
At Houlon Berman, we have over 50 years of experience representing clients in criminal matters in Maryland and the District of Columbia. We take pride in the results we get for our clients.
Our Managing Partner, Richard A. Finci, has many years of experience defending Federal criminal cases and is well-known for defending clients before the United States District Court in Greenbelt, Baltimore and the District of Columbia.
Every criminal charge has elements which the Government must prove to the jury beyond a reasonable doubt. The jury must reach a unanimous decision, and the jurors must presume that you are innocent unless proven guilty.
The simplest of the laws prevent those convicted of certain prior crimes from possessing guns. The elements of this offense, which is only one of the many gun laws, each of which the Government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt, are:
1) the defendant knowingly possessed [specify firearm] [specify ammunition];
2) the [specify firearm] [specify ammunition] had been [[shipped] [transported]] [[from one state to another] [between a foreign nation and the United States]]; and
3) at the time the defendant possessed the [specify firearm] [specify ammunition], the defendant had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
At Houlon Berman, we focus on establishing your defense by attacking each element of the offense, by investigating and attacking the credibility of the witness and the evidence against you and by investigating and proving any affirmative defenses that may be available to you. Also, many gun cases involve searches and seizures which may have been illegal. We are experts in 4th Amendment law. Here are some samples of written 4th Amendment arguments we have made in the past: DC Appeal, Maryland Appeal.
Of course, it is well known that many cases end in plea agreements. If your cases is one in which a plea agreement is desirable or otherwise offers you real options that cannot be ignored, at Houlon Berman, we will fight to obtain the best possible plea agreement for you, explain everything that goes into obtaining such an agreement, and make sure that you are fully comfortable with the decisions you will need to make.
Expertise in and understanding of the United States Sentencing Guidelines is critically important in the defense of any Federal Criminal gun crimes charge. Richard Finci has been a member of the Maryland Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy appointed by the Governor of Maryland since 2004 (which focuses on State Law), has attended many seminars on the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and is an expert in the analysis and application of those Sentencing Guidelines as well as in the tactics and strategy to reduce the sentencing guidelines which you face in your case.
