Wayne County Gun Crime Lawyer

A gun charge in Wayne County can mean a felony record, a mandatory prison term, and the loss of your right to own a firearm. Many of these cases begin with an ordinary encounter, such as a traffic stop, a street stop in Detroit, or a forgotten pistol in a bag. Attorney Christopher Brown is a Wayne County gun crime lawyer and former Detroit police officer who defends weapons charges in every Wayne County court.

Recent Gun Case Results

Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Felony CCW Dismissed Through Gun Board Diversion — Wayne County Circuit Court

We convinced the Wayne County Gun Board to accept our diversion proposal. The felony concealed weapon charge was dismissed, and our client pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for possessing an unregistered firearm.

3rd Circuit Court — Wayne County

CCW Charge Dismissed — 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.

52-4 District Court — Troy, Oakland County

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.

47th District Court — Farmington Hills, Oakland County

Forgotten Concealed Pistol at DTW Reduced to a Civil Infraction — Romulus

Our client, a CPL holder, was traveling for the holidays and running late for his flight. He forgot to remove the pistol he was carrying concealed, and it was found at the security checkpoint. He was charged with a misdemeanor. We resolved the case as a non-criminal civil infraction.

34th District Court — Romulus, Wayne County

See more of our case results.

Common Gun Charges in Wayne County

Michigan gun laws are strict, and a single encounter can lead to more than one charge. These are the gun charges Attorney Brown sees most often in Wayne County:

Carrying a concealed weapon (CCW): carrying a pistol concealed on your person without a license, or carrying a pistol in a vehicle without a license, whether concealed or not. It’s a felony with up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500.

Felony firearm: possessing a gun while committing or attempting a felony. A first conviction brings a mandatory 2-year prison term, a second brings 5 years, and a third brings 10 years, all served before the sentence for the underlying felony.

Felonious assault: an assault with a dangerous weapon, such as pointing a gun at someone. It’s a felony with up to 4 years in prison and often comes with a felony firearm charge.

Felon in possession: possessing a firearm when the law prohibits it because of a prior felony conviction. It’s a felony with up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

How Gun Stops Happen in Detroit

Detroit is different from most suburban communities. The city has much more pedestrian traffic, so many police contacts start on foot rather than with a traffic stop. In Attorney Brown’s experience, officers are often “proactive,” and certain areas of the city have a reputation as hot spots for drug and prostitution activity. As a result, a completely innocent person can be in the wrong place at the wrong time and end up searched, arrested, and charged with a gun crime.

Every stop still has to follow the law. Police need reasonable suspicion to stop you. To frisk you, they need specific reasons to believe you’re armed and dangerous. To search you or your car, they generally need probable cause or your consent. A Wayne County gun crime lawyer reviews the body camera video, the police report, and the reason for the stop in every case.

ShotSpotter Alerts

Detroit uses ShotSpotter, an acoustic system that detects possible gunfire and sends an alert to police. The city has published its ShotSpotter incident records since March 2023. However, a ShotSpotter alert does not by itself give police the right to search you. Being near the location of an alert isn’t a crime. When police rely on an alert, the question is whether they also had specific reasons to stop, frisk, or search you.

If Police Stop You

As a former police officer and a defense attorney, Attorney Brown gives this advice. It’s general information, not legal advice for your situation.

• Don’t argue, resist, or get physical with an officer. Stops go wrong when they turn into confrontations, and resisting can lead to new charges.
• If an officer asks to search you or your car, you have the right to refuse. Say plainly, “I do not consent to a search,” and don’t explain or argue.
• If you’re a CPL holder carrying a pistol, you must disclose it to the officer immediately. Refusing consent to a search doesn’t change that duty.
• The time to argue is in the courtroom, through your lawyer. If you believe police violated your rights or treated you unfairly, you can file a complaint through the proper channels later, not on the street.

If a detective contacts you before any charge, learn what to do before you talk.

Open Carry and CPL Myths

Many gun cases Attorney Brown sees come from honest misunderstandings of Michigan law.

Open carry without a CPL: Many adults who can legally own a pistol can carry it openly without a CPL. However, you cannot conceal the pistol at all, even partly. In a vehicle, the rule is stricter: without a CPL, carrying a pistol in a car is a felony CCW charge whether it’s concealed or not.

Transporting a pistol without a CPL: The main exception is lawful transport. The pistol must be unloaded, in a closed firearm case, and in the trunk, or, if the vehicle has no trunk, somewhere not readily accessible to anyone inside. The pistol’s registration must also be in the name of the vehicle’s owner or an occupant, and you must be transporting it for a lawful purpose. Miss any one of those requirements, and the exception doesn’t apply.

Places that are off-limits: Without a CPL, Michigan law also bars carrying a firearm on the premises of places such as banks, churches, courts, theaters, sports arenas, day care centers, hospitals, and bars. A violation is a misdemeanor.

A CPL isn’t special authority: Some people believe a CPL gives them special authority to act in a dangerous situation. It doesn’t. A CPL holder is subject to the same laws as every other citizen. In fact, if prosecutors charge a CPL holder with a felony committed while carrying, they can add felony firearm, with its mandatory prison term.

Be a Good Witness

Attorney Brown’s advice is simple: unless you must act to protect yourself or others, be a good witness and call the police. Too often, he gets calls from people who inserted themselves into a situation they didn’t need to, and now face serious charges. Michigan law allows deadly force only when you honestly and reasonably believe it’s necessary to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm, or sexual assault.

How the Gun Board Decides Wayne County Gun Cases

The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office reviews requests to reduce or resolve many gun charges through its Gun Board. Several prosecutors sit on the Gun Board, and they make a collective decision based on mitigating factors. These factors can include the defendant’s age, whether the defendant lawfully owned or registered the gun, and the facts surrounding the encounter. A strong request explains those factors clearly and backs them up with records. In our Gun Board case above, the prosecutor dismissed the felony CCW charge.

Challenging the Case Comes First

The Gun Board is one tool, not the whole strategy. A Wayne County gun crime lawyer should never treat it as the first and only option. Attorney Brown reviews and, when appropriate, challenges every stop and every search. As our Troy case shows, an unlawful stop can lead to suppressed evidence and a dismissed case. When the stop and search hold up, the Gun Board may be the right route, and a well-prepared request can make the difference.

How a Wayne County Gun Crime Lawyer Builds Your Defense

• The stop and the search: Did police have a lawful reason to stop you? Did they have specific reasons to believe you were armed and dangerous before a frisk? Did you actually consent? If police found the gun through an unlawful search, a court can suppress the evidence.
• Possession: When police find a gun in a shared car or home, the prosecutor must prove it was yours and under your control.
• Self-defense: As our Farmington Hills case shows, a well-documented self-defense argument can lead a prosecutor to dismiss felonious assault and felony firearm.
• Your license status: Whether you had a valid CPL, or carried in a way the law allows, can be the difference between no crime, a misdemeanor, and a felony.

Gun Charges at Detroit Metro Airport

Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) is in Wayne County, and Attorney Brown has handled dozens of cases involving travelers who forgot a gun in a carry-on bag. These cases follow their own rules, depending largely on whether the traveler has a CPL. For a full explanation, see our airport gun charge page.

Which Wayne County Courts Hear Gun Cases

Every gun case starts in the district court where the arrest happened. In Detroit, the 36th District Court has a docket dedicated to CCW cases. If the judge binds a felony case over, it moves to the Third Circuit Court at the Wayne County Criminal Justice Center in Detroit, and cases with a felony firearm charge go directly to a trial docket. We defend gun charges in every Wayne County district court, including the courts serving Detroit, Livonia, Westland, and Canton.

For more about gun charges across Michigan, see our weapons and firearms defense page.

Gun Rights After a Conviction

A conviction can cost you the right to own a firearm. Under Michigan law, certain felony convictions bring a firearm ban that lasts at least three or five years after you complete your sentence, and some require a court order to restore your rights. A misdemeanor domestic violence conviction brings an eight-year state ban, and federal law has separate restrictions. For that reason, avoiding a conviction, or reducing a felony to a non-criminal outcome, matters as much for your gun rights as for your record.

Wayne County Gun Crime FAQ

Can I openly carry a pistol in Michigan without a CPL?

In many cases, yes, if you can legally own the pistol and it’s fully visible. However, a pistol in a vehicle without a CPL is a felony CCW charge whether it’s concealed or not, unless you’re lawfully transporting it unloaded, in a closed firearm case, in the trunk. Some places are also off-limits without a CPL.

Can police search me because of a ShotSpotter alert?

Not because of the alert alone. Police still need specific reasons to stop you, specific reasons to believe you’re armed and dangerous to frisk you, and probable cause or consent to search. A Wayne County gun crime lawyer can challenge a search that didn’t meet those standards.

What does the Gun Board consider?

The Gun Board’s prosecutors decide together based on mitigating factors, such as the defendant’s age, whether the defendant lawfully owned or registered the gun, and the facts of the encounter. Records that support those factors make a request stronger.

Can a CPL holder be charged with felony firearm?

Yes. A CPL doesn’t protect you from felony firearm. If prosecutors charge a CPL holder with a felony committed while possessing a gun, they can add felony firearm, which carries a mandatory prison term.

Talk to a Wayne County Gun Crime Lawyer

• Former Detroit police officer who knows the rules police must follow in gun stops and searches
• Dozens of Wayne County Gun Board and Detroit Metro Airport gun cases
• Assigned counsel in Wayne County Circuit Court from 2009 to 2020
• Free consultations, available 24/7, in person at our Troy office or virtually
• Credit cards accepted and payment plans available

Call (248) 468-1468 or contact us online.