Oakland County Gun Crime Lawyer

Charged with a gun or weapons offense? Christopher Brown is an Oakland County gun crime lawyer and former police officer who knows how firearm investigations work. He challenges unlawful searches and weak evidence to protect your rights.

Oakland County Gun Crime Lawyer for Weapons and Firearm Charges

Attorney Christopher Brown — Former Police Officer, Now Your Advocate

Call Today: (248) 468-1468 | Serving Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Washtenaw, & St. Clair Counties

Are you being investigated or charged with a misdemeanor or felony crime involving a firearm or assault? Attorney Christopher Brown has successfully defended clients in firearm and assault cases throughout Metro Detroit, including Shelby Township, Macomb Township, Utica, Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, Harrison Township, St. Clair Shores, New Baltimore, Warren, Chesterfield Township, and Romeo.

As a former police officer, Attorney Brown knows firsthand how police conduct firearm and assault investigations. He knows how police train officers to collect evidence, question suspects, and build cases. As a result, he can anticipate and dismantle the prosecution’s strategy.

Recent Weapons and Firearm Results

Felony CCW Reduced to a Civil Infraction — Waterford

Our client held a concealed pistol license (CPL), but it had expired just one week before a traffic stop.

Police found his handgun in the car, and prosecutors charged him in the 51st District Court with carrying a concealed weapon, a felony punishable by up to five years.

We presented the mitigating circumstances to the prosecutor, including how recently his license had lapsed. As a result, the prosecutor reduced the felony to a civil infraction for failing to immediately disclose that he was carrying a firearm.

A civil infraction is not a crime, so our client left with no criminal conviction.

Why this matters: A lapsed license can turn a law-abiding gun owner into a felony defendant overnight. Presenting the full context the right way can keep a mistake from becoming a criminal record.

Felonious Assault and Felony Firearm Dismissed on Self-Defense — Farmington Hills

Our client, a CPL holder, was walking his dog when an unleashed dog approached. Afraid of being bitten, he drew his firearm. He and the other dog’s owner began to argue.

When police arrived, they accepted the other man’s account as fact, partly because our client was understandably shaken. Prosecutors charged him in the 47th District Court with felonious assault and felony firearm, which carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence.

We investigated the facts and presented our client’s self-defense position to the prosecutor in writing. The prosecutor dismissed both felonies, and our client pleaded guilty only to a misdemeanor for not having a dog license.

Why this matters: Self-defense cases are often won before trial. A clear written presentation of the facts and the law can persuade a prosecutor to drop felony charges, even a felony firearm count with mandatory prison time.

CCW Charge Dismissed — Troy

Carrying a Concealed Weapon (Felony) Dismissed – 52-4 District Court, Troy

Police stopped our client in Troy while he was carrying a loaded firearm and charged him with carrying a concealed weapon, a felony. We carefully reviewed the officers’ video and showed that police had stopped the wrong vehicle. Because the stop was unlawful, the evidence was suppressed and the case was dismissed outright. See more of our case results.

Michigan Firearm and Weapon Crimes

Michigan law contains a wide array of statutes regulating firearm ownership, possession, and use. A weapon or firearm involved in an altercation may also elevate charges to serious misdemeanor or felony assault offenses. Assault and domestic violence charges involving firearms are among the most common in Michigan.

Michigan treats any crime punishable by more than one year in prison as a felony.

Michigan Gun Crime Penalties at a Glance

Felony firearm cannot be suspended, and there is no probation or parole during the mandatory term. That is why a felony firearm charge changes the stakes of any case, and why an Oakland County gun crime lawyer should be involved from the start.

Carrying a Gun in a Vehicle in Michigan

Without a CPL, a pistol in a car is a felony risk even if it is in plain view. For a full guide to the law and your defenses, see our page on Michigan CCW charges.

Michigan’s concealed weapon law covers a pistol in a vehicle you are driving or riding in “whether concealed or otherwise.” In other words, a visible pistol on the seat does not make it legal.

Rifles and shotguns follow a different rule. In a vehicle, a long gun must be unloaded and either taken down, enclosed in a case, carried in the trunk, or kept out of reach from inside the vehicle. Violating that rule is a misdemeanor.

The law has exceptions for carrying in your own home, place of business, or on land you own. Still, the details matter, so don’t assume a rule for long guns also applies to pistols. An Oakland County gun crime lawyer can tell you exactly which rule applies to your situation.

CPL Rules: Disclosure, Pistol-Free Zones, and Carrying While Intoxicated

A concealed pistol license does not allow you to carry everywhere or in every situation.

Disclosure to police: If you are a CPL holder carrying a concealed pistol and an officer stops you, you must immediately tell the officer. A first violation is a civil infraction with a $500 fine and a 6-month CPL suspension. A second violation within three years brings a $1,000 fine and revocation of your license.

Pistol-free zones: Even with a CPL, you generally cannot carry a concealed pistol in places such as schools, child-care facilities, sports arenas and stadiums, certain bars, places of worship (unless permitted), large entertainment venues, hospitals, and college dorms and classrooms. The parking areas of those places are not included.

Carrying while intoxicated: Michigan law restricts CPL holders from carrying while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, with penalties that rise with the level of intoxication.

Assault Crimes, Road Rage with Weapons or Firearms

As of January 2024, about 7.6% of Michigan residents hold a Concealed Pistol License (CPL). In addition, the state receives over 100,000 new CPL applications each year. Deciding to use or even display a firearm in a tense moment can have devastating legal consequences.

An assault can occur when someone puts another person in fear of an attack. The law does not require physical contact. If the incident involves a weapon or firearm, prosecutors may raise the charge to a felony such as:

• Assault with a Deadly Weapon
• Assault with Intent to Do Great Bodily Harm
• Assault with Intent to Murder

Brandishing or using a firearm to create fear can lead to serious felony charges. This is true even if no one suffers physical harm. In Michigan, everyday objects such as a vehicle or tool may qualify as a ‘dangerous weapon.’ This applies when someone uses them in a threatening way.

When someone uses or displays a firearm during a road-rage incident, additional felony charges often follow. For example, prosecutors may add brandishing or assault with a deadly weapon. Michigan’s Self-Defense Act (MCL 780.972) can apply anywhere you have a legal right to be, including in your vehicle. However, the law’s strongest presumption of reasonable fear applies only in specific situations, such as a break-in at a home or business or an attempt to force someone out of a home, business, or occupied vehicle. Whether self-defense applies during a road-rage incident depends on the facts.

Law enforcement will carefully evaluate factors such as whether you could have retreated, called 911, or avoided escalation. Attorney Brown’s experience as a former police officer allows him to challenge these assumptions effectively. He can also identify when law enforcement oversteps or misinterprets events.

Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony

Under Michigan law, possessing or carrying a gun while committing or attempting another felony is a separate felony. Michigan calls this crime ‘Felony Firearm.’ This offense carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence. The defendant serves it consecutively to any sentence for the underlying crime.

A firearm does not need to be in your hand to trigger this charge. For example, having one nearby or under your control may be enough. Attorney Brown frequently defends clients accused of felony firearm charges by exposing weak evidence of possession or intent.

Felony firearm does not apply when the underlying felony is itself a weapons-carrying offense, such as carrying a concealed weapon.

The prosecution must also prove a real connection between the gun and the felony. Where the gun was, who had access to it, and what the accused knew all matter.

Loss of Firearm Rights After a Conviction

Attorney Brown strongly supports responsible gun ownership and Second Amendment rights. However, a conviction for certain crimes can take away gun rights temporarily or permanently. Any felony conviction results in a total loss of firearm rights under Michigan and federal law. Even some misdemeanors can suspend your right to own or possess a firearm for years. Examples include domestic violence and assault.

Certain convictions can also lead to the suspension or revocation of a Concealed Pistol License (CPL). This typically lasts three or eight years, depending on the offense.

Felon in Possession: How Long the Ban Lasts

For most felonies, Michigan’s ban on possessing a firearm ends three years after you have paid all fines, served all jail or prison time, and completed probation or parole.

For a “specified felony,” such as a felony involving force, drugs, firearms, explosives, burglary of an occupied home, or arson, the ban lasts at least five years and continues until your rights are formally restored.

A conviction for a misdemeanor involving domestic violence brings a separate eight-year ban. Federal law has its own, often longer, restrictions.

Restoring Your Gun Rights

If you were convicted of a specified felony, you may petition the circuit court in your county to restore your firearm rights. You must wait at least five years after completing every part of your sentence.

The court must find, by clear and convincing evidence, that your record and reputation show you are not likely to be dangerous. You can file only once in any 12-month period.

Restoration under Michigan law does not automatically resolve federal firearm restrictions, so both have to be reviewed.

Michigan’s 2024 Gun Laws

Michigan’s gun laws changed significantly in 2024. Three changes matter most:

Safe storage: If a minor is or is likely to be present, an unattended firearm must be kept in a locked box or container, or unloaded with a locking device engaged. If a minor gets the gun, the penalties range from a 93-day misdemeanor if the minor displays it in public, up to a 15-year felony if someone is killed.

Red flag laws: Under Michigan’s Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, family members, household members, police, and certain others can ask a court to order a person to surrender firearms. These orders are civil, but violating one can lead to criminal charges. An extreme risk protection order is different from a PPO.

Purchase rules: Michigan expanded its purchase licensing rules so they reach rifles and shotguns, not just pistols, with some exceptions.

If you are served with a red flag petition or an order affecting your firearms, talk to an Oakland County gun crime lawyer before the hearing.

Weapons in Possession at Metro Airport Checkpoints

Every year, police arrest travelers at Detroit Metro Airport for prohibited items. Many of them unintentionally carried firearms, knives, or other items through TSA checkpoints. Even when the violation is accidental, it can result in criminal misdemeanor charges.

Are you facing a Metro Airport checkpoint charge? Attorney Brown can often handle the case without requiring your court appearance, especially for out-of-state clients. In addition, he has a proven record of getting these charges dismissed.

For a full guide to Michigan airport gun charges, including how DTW cases are charged, the Wayne County gun board, and TSA fines, see our Michigan airport gun charge page.

Defending Firearm and Weapon Charges

Attorney Brown approaches every case by conducting a detailed investigation into the facts, police conduct, and evidence handling. In many cases, defenses include self-defense or lack of intent. Another defense is a lack of proof that the accused actually used or possessed the weapon unlawfully.

Because he understands police procedure from the inside, Attorney Brown can identify when officers fail to follow proper protocol. He can also spot when they exaggerate circumstances to justify an arrest or search.

How Gun Stops and Searches Happen

As a former Detroit police officer (1996–2003), Christopher Brown knows how gun cases are built during a stop.

Most follow the same pattern: a traffic or investigative stop, questions about weapons, a frisk or vehicle search, the discovery of a gun, and an arrest.

We examine each step separately. What did police know before the stop? Did the encounter stay voluntary? What legal basis did the officer claim for the search, and did the search go too far?

Body camera and dash camera footage often answer those questions.

Constructive Possession in a Shared Car

Police often charge everyone in a car when a gun is found. But being in the same car is not enough.

The prosecution must show that you knew the gun was there and had the power and intent to control it.

We look at where the gun was found, who owned and used the car, who could reach the gun, and whether any fingerprints, DNA, or statements actually tie you to it.

Common Mistakes in Gun Cases

• Treating a pistol in a car like a cased long gun
• Assuming a pistol is legal in the car because it isn’t hidden
• Forgetting to immediately tell an officer you are carrying under a CPL
• Assuming a CPL lets you carry anywhere, or while drinking
• Consenting to a search without understanding it can widen the search
• Reaching for, moving, or handling a gun during a police encounter
• Explaining who owns the gun before talking to a lawyer

We Fight to Protect Your Rights and Freedom

Are you facing a firearm or weapon-related charge, such as assault, felony firearm, or a Metro Airport violation? Attorney Christopher Brown will fight to protect your rights, avoid a conviction, and keep you out of jail.

Call Today for a Free and Confidential Consultation: (248) 468-1468

Office Located in Troy, Michigan | Serving Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Washtenaw, and St. Clair Counties

Same-day, evening, and weekend appointments available. Jail visits and payment plans accepted. All major credit cards welcome.

Facing charges in Oakland County? See our Oakland County criminal defense page, or visit our Troy criminal defense page if your case is in the 52-4 District Court.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gun Charges in Michigan

Can I carry a pistol in my car without a CPL in Michigan?

Generally, no. Without a CPL or an exception, a pistol in a vehicle can be charged as carrying a concealed weapon, a five-year felony, even if the pistol is in plain view.

Is felony firearm a mandatory prison sentence?

Yes. A first felony firearm conviction carries a mandatory two years in prison, served before and in addition to the sentence for the other felony. However, felony firearm charges can be dismissed or negotiated before conviction, as our Farmington Hills result shows.

What happens if my CPL expired?

Carrying with an expired license can lead to a felony charge. But as our Waterford result shows, the circumstances matter, and the charge can sometimes be reduced to a non-criminal infraction. Learn more about expired-CPL and concealed weapon charges.

Do I have to tell police I’m carrying?

If you are a CPL holder carrying a concealed pistol and you are stopped, yes, immediately. Failing to do so is a civil infraction with a fine and a CPL suspension.

Can I get my gun rights back after a felony?

Often, yes. For most felonies, the ban ends three years after you complete your sentence. For specified felonies, you can petition the circuit court after five years. Federal law must be reviewed separately.

We also defend gun charges throughout Macomb County and Wayne County.

Speak With an Oakland County Gun Crime Lawyer

Carrying a concealed weapon without a license is a felony under MCL 750.227. In addition, a first felony firearm (MCL 750.227b) conviction carries a mandatory two-year prison term that runs before and in addition to the other sentence. An Oakland County gun crime lawyer can challenge possession, intent, and the legality of the search. Weapons charges often come with assault or drug allegations. Call (248) 468-1468 for a free consultation.