Columbia Gun Laws

When the crime rate is high and there is an uptick in violent shootings within a certain area in short period of time, the police become lot more aggressive in pursuing those cases and making arrests Police officers and prosecutors are making sure that they are enforcing the laws regarding firearms. Common gun crimes in Columbia include the unlawful carrying of a firearm and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. If you or someone you know have sustained a gun charge or conviction in Columbia, it would be important to contact a dedicated criminal defense lawyer who can protect your legal rights throughout your case.

Facts About Columbia Gun Laws

Columbia gun laws are strict in the sense that it is rare for police and prosecutors to give people any sort of leeway and dismiss charges. Do not expect police officers to look the other way and give people warning tickets, when are either unlawfully carrying of a pistol or are in possession of a stolen pistol. Law enforcement treats these charges very seriously.

It does not matter if the person is in Lexington County, Richland County, the City of Columbia, or any other surrounding community, South Carolina is very strict on gun laws. The unlawful carrying of a pistol, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and pointing and presenting are crimes that occur very frequently and thus strictly enforced.

South Carolina, however, is a very Second Amendment-friendly state as a whole. With a concealed weapons permit, a person can have a weapon on their person in public.

Recent Trends

Gun violence is happening around the country. With mass shootings on the incline, the Columbia mayor has said that he has plans to introduce a city ordinance to ban the use of bump stocks and trigger cranks in the city in response to the Las Vegas shooting. If that city ordinance passes, the plans to use bump stocks and trigger cranks in the City of Columbia would be more restrictive than a lot of places around in the country that do not have that ordinance.

As a result of the nationwide gun violence, some parts of the country are not as gun-friendly. South Carolina is a very hunting-friendly state, which means there are a lot of gun owners. There are more gun owners in South Carolina than New York, for example.

There are restrictions for businesses when they have the proper signage, but a person can apply for and get a concealed weapons permit and be able to lawfully carry. As a whole, South Carolina is a very gun-friendly state as far as lawful possession, but Columbia gun laws strictly enforce unlawful carrying.

 

Is Possession or Distribution of Firearms More Prevalent?

When thinking of trends in Columbia gun laws, it is important to note that they are more focused on possession. Arrests for the distribution of firearms South Carolina are not made often, but the unlawful possession of firearms is quite prevalent. There are a significant number of cases of unlawful possession, but very few distribution cases. Gun laws are more focused on the possession of weapons. Unlawful carrying of pistol or possession of a stolen pistol are the most common in regards to possession of firearms.

It is rare for there to be many arrests based on the distribution of guns. For the most part, the arrests related to the possession of a firearm. The amount of cases regarding a distribution of firearms is very low, but the number of cases related to possession of a pistol or a firearm is high. There are many different charges that revolve around possession that have nothing to do with the distribution of the firearm.

Discharging a weapon in a dwelling happens often. Depending on the nature of the case, people can get arrested for this crime even if the weapon was not necessarily discharged in a way that intended to harm someone. It depends on what the officers believe if called to a scene. People can be arrested for this quite often.

Benefits of an Attorney

Being knowledgeable of the trends in Columbia gun laws can be quite helpful.  It is rare that the police catch people trying to sell guns or illegally storing and distributing them. Instead, the unlawful carrying of the pistol, pointing and presenting of the firearm and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime is more common. A local, experienced gun attorney may be knowledgeable of the trends in Columbia gun laws.

Gun offenses in Columbia can be difficult to untangle. Even some of the lesser gun infractions can have very serious and long-lasting consequences for your life, if you are charged with an offense. A gun lawyer may be able to help make sense of the trends in Columbia gun laws.

Laws are put in place to try to prevent crime, enforce action, or implement some response for public safety. An attempt to ban bump stocks, trigger cranks, or any other type of other restrictive measures on guns are efforts put into place to try and protect the public. Gun laws are supposed to protect the citizens and keep them from having illegal access to guns.

Columbia gun laws, however, can be easy to break. The laws only work when people abide by them. They are put in place to punish if someone breaks them. There are plenty of laws related to firearms in place. Gun charges and gun convictions are taken extremely seriously, and the potential consequences can be severe. An experienced Columbia gun lawyer could protect you against the severe penalties that go along with a conviction.