Carrying a Firearm Without License Charges Withdrawn

We recently helped an unemployed man in his mid-20s avoid a conviction for carrying a firearm without a license. At the time of the alleged offense, police officers were patrolling in the Hays neighborhood. They observed a 1994 black Lexus with expired inspection stickers and tried to pull the vehicle over. The driver sped off, and officers witnessed someone in the front passenger seat throwing a gray .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol out of the window. Once the vehicle came to a stop, the police put this person into custody and went back to find the firearm.

Our client had a prior conviction on his record for simple assault, and he wanted to avoid any jail time, fines, or other penalties that came with this new charge. We made over five court appearances on our client’s behalf, and eventually the charges were withdrawn because the Commonwealth decided not to pursue the charges. At the preliminary hearing, we were able to establish that the police could not have actually seen our client throw the weapon. The Commonwealth needed an independent witness to testify, but we learned early on that the person would not testify and would not be available for a court appearance. When it came time for the case to go to trial at the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas, the Commonwealth had to drop the charges.

The outcome of an individual case depends on a variety of factors unique to that case. Case results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any similar or future case.