FLORIDA PROSECUTORS CONTINUE WITH PENIDING CASES
DESPITE PERMITLESS CARRY LAW
Many state attorney's offices across Florida are still prosecuting those arrested for carrying
concealed weapons and say they plan to continue doing so until July 1st, when the law takes effect.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed
the permitless carry bill on April 3rd and called it "constitutional carry" legislation. The bill allows non-felons and those over 21 years of age to carry concealed firearms without permits, and eliminates a previous requirement for background checks and gun safety courses.
However, hundreds of arrestees and defendants were left in a gray area as the new law did not include any retroactive provisions about pending cases.
While many people are currently accused of committing a crime that will soon no longer exist, the stakes are high. If convicted, those who would soon be able to legally carry without permits could be labeled as felons. With a conviction, they could
also be labeled as felons, losing their right to possess firearms and greatly limiting their housing and job options - especially for occupations that require licenses.
The Orlando Sentinel made a request for comment and reported that a half-dozen state attorney's offices had responded that they are going to continue prosecuting pending concealed carry cases against non-felons and those over the age of 21.
Those same
people would largely be protected by the permitless carry law when it takes effect on July 1st.
At the end of April, Orange
County currently had 775 concealed carry cases pending, and 104 were currently pending in Osceola County.
Some people accused of illegally carrying concealed firearms will have opportunities to go through pretrial diversion and have their cases dropped when eligible, depending on their criminal history.
If you’ve been charged with any type of gun, firearm or weapons violation, you need to act immediately in order to preserve every possible opportunity for a stronger defense.
Take advantage of our FREE
consultation so you can gain a better understanding of what charges you’re facing and the potential consequences, and we can begin helping you right away.
OUR GUN, FIREARM AND WEAPONS VIOLATION DEFENSE LAWYERS ARE EXPERIENCED, DEDICATED AND AGGRESSIVE.
If you someone you know is facing gun
charges, the consequences can be very serious if there is a conviction. Our gun, firearm and weapons violation defense lawyers can help defend against these types of charges and have specific
experience with Florida gun crimes. We are also qualified to practice in federal courts and have experience as former prosecutors.
