Jacksonville Criminal Lawyer Blog
Applications for concealed weapons permits in Florida have increased significantly this year, according to an article on News4Jax.com. It is expected that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which processes the concealed weapons permit applications and issues the permits, will receive approximately 150,000 applications in 2009. The article indicates that there are approximately 6 million gun owners in Florida.
We get calls from people who are in danger of losing their concealed weapons permit for various reasons and need help retaining it. Some people are in danger of losing their concealed weapons permit and do not even realize it.
A license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm is valid for seven years and does just what it says- it allows you to carry a concealed weapon or firearm. However, you must also carry the license and identification at all times when carrying the concealed weapon. Most people are eligible to obtain a concealed weapons permit. If you are over 21, a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien, not a convicted felon, physically capable of safely handling a weapon or firearm, do not have a history of drug or alcohol abuse and can pass the firearms course, you are probably eligible for a concealed weapons permit.
However, once you have obtained a concealed weapons permit, you can lose it for various reasons: if you become legally incapacitated, are committed to a mental institution, get convicted of a felony or misdemeanor domestic violence charge or have a repeat violence or domestic violence injunction granted against you.
Most of these are fairly obvious. However, the injunction factor can be tricky. First, domestic violence and repeat violence injunctions are often granted based on questionable evidence and the word of one person against the other. Judges often take the “safer” route and grant an injunction against a person although the evidence is weak. Unfortunately, this affects a person’s right to carry a concealed weapon. Second, many people do not know that such an injunction causes a person to lose his/her concealed weapons permit.
If you have been served with a petition for injunction and either have a concealed weapons permit or intend to get one, keep in mind the injunction may cause you to lose your concealed weapons permit or prevent you from getting one. If you have any questions about the injunction process and have to defend against it, contact us for a free consultation.