[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.njcriminaldefensefirm.com\/blog\/facing-a-gun-charge-in-mercer-county\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.njcriminaldefensefirm.com\/blog\/facing-a-gun-charge-in-mercer-county\/","headline":"Facing a Gun Charge in Mercer County, NJ","name":"Facing a Gun Charge in Mercer County, NJ","description":"It is well known by now that New Jersey takes gun offenses very seriously and that the ramifications for anyone accused of unlawfully possessing a firearm can be unforgiving. The potential penalties include not only a mandatory term of incarceration but also the imposition of a mandatory parole ineligibility period as well. Those penalties are […]","datePublished":"2018-11-25","dateModified":"2025-08-12","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.njcriminaldefensefirm.com\/blog\/author\/njcriminaldefensefirm\/#Person","name":"Keith Oliver Criminal Law","url":"https:\/\/www.njcriminaldefensefirm.com\/blog\/author\/njcriminaldefensefirm\/","identifier":8,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eea6bf238055b0a92b0fd9a26bcfdcabbb3a035497bf65cc7d3ba0ef726197ae?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eea6bf238055b0a92b0fd9a26bcfdcabbb3a035497bf65cc7d3ba0ef726197ae?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Keith Oliver Criminal Law","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/www.njcriminaldefensefirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo-footer.png","url":"http:\/\/www.njcriminaldefensefirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo-footer.png","width":205,"height":68}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.njcriminaldefensefirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/NJ-Gun-Charge-Defense-Lawyer.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.njcriminaldefensefirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/NJ-Gun-Charge-Defense-Lawyer.jpg","height":789,"width":1400},"url":"https:\/\/www.njcriminaldefensefirm.com\/blog\/facing-a-gun-charge-in-mercer-county\/","about":["Gun Charges"],"wordCount":561,"keywords":["Facing a Gun Possession Charge in Trenton","Fighting a Gun Case in Trenton","Local Trenton NJ Gun Charge Lawyer","Mercer County Gun Charge Attorney"],"articleBody":"It is well known by now that New Jersey takes gun offenses very seriously and that the ramifications for anyone accused of unlawfully possessing a firearm can be unforgiving. The potential penalties include not only a mandatory term of incarceration but also the imposition of a mandatory parole ineligibility period as well. Those penalties are as a result of the Graves Act, which was instituted in an effort to combat gang activity. Under the Graves Act, even for a first time offender who has a proper permit from another state, the mandatory minimum plea offer that can be extended is five (5) years in state prison with a forty-two month parole ineligibility period. With that being said, there is a Graves Act Waiver that could be obtained, however, it will be on the defense counsel to convince the prosecution that such waiver should be granted. For more information on the\u00a0Graves Act and how it applies in Mercer County, please click the link.The penalties mentioned above are applicable for anyone accused of possessing a firearm without first obtaining the proper firearms id card, even if they had a proper permit from another state.\u00a0They do not taken into consideration whether or not the gun was used for an unlawful purpose. For example, was the gun used to commit a\u00a0robbery\u00a0or during the commission of a\u00a0drug offense? If that is the case, additional charges would apply, such as\u00a0possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose\u00a0and possession of a weapon during the commission of a drug offense.Need a Lawyer for a Gun Charge in Mercer County NJIn addition to harsh penalties associated with the\u00a0unlawful possession of a weapon charge\u00a0and the Graves Act, New Jersey makes it extremely difficult for those to lawful obtain a firearm. In order to lawfully purchase a firearm in New Jersey, an individual must first make application for a firearms id card through their local police department. If that application is approved, the individual can lawful purchase a rifle or a shotgun but in order to purchase a handgun, the individual must seek another permit from their local police department. With all these hurdles in place, there should be no surprise to hear that the vast majority of guns unlawful possessed guns in New Jersey are illegally obtained from other States.NJ.com recently did an article that highlighted the top fifteen states that provide New Jersey with the most illegal firearms. Those states are as follows:Pennsylvania \u2013 271Georgia \u2013 172Virginia \u2013 167North Carolina \u2013 153South Carolina \u2013 121Florida \u2013 92Ohio \u2013 59Texas \u2013 38Tennessee \u2013 29New York \u2013 29West Virginia \u2013 28Alabama \u2013 21Mississippi \u2013 20Indiana \u2013 20Vermont \u2013 13Mercer County deals with its fair share of unlawful possession of a weapons charges each and every year. If you or a loved one has been charged with unlawfully possessing a weapon in Mercer County or elsewhere in New Jersey, we strongly urge that you speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. As you can tell from reading above, the applicable penalties can be unforgiving if not handled properly. To speak to one of our Mercer County gun possession defense lawyers today, please contact our Hamilton office at 609-789-0779 or you can try\u00a0contacting us online.For more information on nj.com\u2019s article aboutThese 15 states put the most illegal guns on N.J. streets this year please click the link."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.njcriminaldefensefirm.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Facing a Gun Charge in Mercer County, NJ","item":"https:\/\/www.njcriminaldefensefirm.com\/blog\/facing-a-gun-charge-in-mercer-county\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]