If you’ve been accused of gun crimes, you should know that you have a right to pursue a strong defense and to make sure the court is not biased against you. One good thing that has happened in the past is showing that as gun sales have increased in the state, the actual number of violent gun crimes has dropped. Additionally, gun sales have set records in the last several years, yet the number of gun-related crimes have not peaked in the same way.
You may have heard that there used to be a one-gun-a-month law in Virginia. Under that law, a person could purchase only one handgun each month within the state. Attempting to purchase or purchasing more than one handgun in 30 days could lead to a Class 1 misdemeanor and result in penalties like $2,500 in fines and a year in prison.
Fortunately, that law was repealed in 2012 by a Republican-dominant General Assembly. The assembly did not want to see individuals limited on what they could purchase within the state. The problem with that was that prior to the law, Virginia was known for being a gun-running capital on the East Coast. The current governor as of 2017, Governor Terry McAuliffe, has stated that the commonsense limit needs to be reinstated.
His reason for wanting the law back comes from an indictment that saw 22 people in Virginia arrested for running over 200 guns and selling them to an undercover officer. One suspect had mocked the state’s laws, pointing out that he could buy as many guns as he wanted to purchase.
How could this law affect you?
Presently, it’s not believed that the governor will have the law reinstated, but if it is, it could mean that you are restricted in how you purchase firearms. If you attempt or do purchase more than one within 30 days, you could find yourself in trouble with the law despite not committing any violent crimes with the weapons.
If you are charged with a gun crime of any type, you do have a right to speak with an attorney and to develop a defense for your case. There are two sides to every story, and it’s important that yours is heard without bias.
Source: Nov. 30, -0001