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It’s a Class A misdemeanor if you are caught carrying a concealed weapon in Appleton without a license or without following all concealed carry laws. If convicted, penalties include up to $10,000 in fines and/or up to 9 months in jail.
Concealed Carry Lawyer Appleton office near city hall
Gun Laws for Concealed Carry in Wisconsin
The charge for carrying a concealed weapon in Appleton is a Class A misdemeanor with maximum penalties of up to 9 months in jail and/or $10,000 fines. You’ll also face a mandatory forfeiture of the weapon you illegally possessed during the time of the offense.
If charged with illegally carrying a concealed weapon, the state must prove you were armed with a firearm, you knew it was in your possession, and it was concealed. Firearms can be concealed in many ways other than the obvious.
A weapon is considered concealed if it is hidden from the view of others, even if it’s only partially covered. This includes weapons in bags, glove boxes, center consoles of cars, or under car seats. A weapon can also be considered concealed if it is simply unable to be seen by those around you. If a firearm is resting in your passenger seat, even if it’s not covered by something, it’s considered concealed if the person next to you cannot see it. If there’s a firearm in your waistband and your shirt partially covers it, you can be charged for carrying a concealed weapon too.
How long is carrying a concealed weapon charge on my record?
If you are convicted of carrying a concealed weapon illegally, the charge will remain on your record permanently. This could affect future employment, loan requests, and other licensing requests. In special circumstances, you may be eligible for expunction of the conviction from your record, or you could seek a governor’s pardon. Expungement may make it harder for the general public to review your record, but the conviction will never be removed. The conviction will always come up in background checks and you may even still have to report it on applications.
How Do I Beat a Concealed Carry Weapon Charge?
The best way to beat a concealed carry weapon charge in Appleton is to work with an experienced attorney that can review your case and provide valuable criminal defense. There are options to challenge the stop and search of your vehicle that lead to a concealed carry charge if the weapon was found during a traffic stop. If the search was done illegally, any evidence found can be ruled as inadmissible in court. Our lawyers may also be able to challenge whether the weapon was actually concealed or whether you knew it was in your possession. If the weapon was found in a bag in your car, it’s possible that you weren’t aware it was in that bag. If the state can’t prove it was in your bag, they might not be able to convict you with carrying a concealed weapon. Tom Grieve is the same criminal defense attorney Wisconsin residents trust to handle their first offense DUI charges, drug possession charges, and other serious cases jeopardizing their rights and futures.
