Firearms & Weapons

Firearms & weapons charge defense

Massachusetts has some of the strictest gun laws in the country — with mandatory minimum sentences for unlawful possession. These charges demand serious defense.

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What's at stake

Massachusetts firearms law is strict and unforgiving. Unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of certain dangerous weapons can carry mandatory minimum jail or state-prison sentences — even for people with no prior record.

Because the penalties are mandatory, the pressure to resolve these cases well from the outset is intense. And because they almost always begin with a search — of a person, a car, or a home — they frequently turn on whether that search was lawful.

How it works

How we defend firearms charges

The search is usually the whole case. If the gun was found unlawfully, it comes out.

  1. 01

    Step 1

    Scrutinize the search

    We examine the stop, the frisk, the vehicle or home search, and any warrant for constitutional violations.

  2. 02

    Step 2

    Challenge possession and knowledge

    The Commonwealth must prove you knowingly possessed the weapon — often a contestable point, especially in shared vehicles or homes.

    • Was the stop and frisk lawful under Article 14?
    • Can the Commonwealth prove you knew the firearm was there?
    • Was there a valid license or exception?
  3. 03

    Step 3

    Move to suppress

    An unlawful search leads to a motion to suppress the weapon — which can end a case that otherwise carries a mandatory sentence.

  4. 04

    Step 4

    Negotiate or try the case

    We pursue every avenue to avoid a mandatory minimum, and try the case when the evidence should be tested.

Firearms charge questions

Is there really a mandatory minimum for a gun charge?
Yes. Massachusetts imposes mandatory minimum sentences for many unlawful-firearm offenses, which is why these cases are so serious and why the defense strategy — often a motion to suppress — matters so much.
The gun wasn't mine — can I still be convicted?
The Commonwealth must prove you knowingly possessed the firearm. In shared cars or homes, that link can be genuinely hard to establish, which opens real defenses.
What if the police searched me without a warrant?
Many firearms cases begin with a warrantless stop and frisk or vehicle search. If that search violated your rights, we move to suppress the evidence — and without the gun, the case often cannot proceed.

Case results

Actual results Attorney Reinhardt has obtained in matters like yours. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome — every case turns on its own facts.

Not guilty — 7-year mandatory minimum

The client was charged with possession of a gun, ammunition, and a high-capacity feeding device — carrying a minimum mandatory of seven years in prison. The gun was found in a car registered to the client and parked at a gathering near a South Boston housing development. At trial, Attorney Reinhardt raised significant doubt about the client's connection to the firearm and ammunition found in his vehicle. The jury returned verdicts of not guilty on all counts.

Acquitted in under ten minutes

The client, a man in his thirties, had a good job, no recent record, and was the primary support for his young, disabled daughter. He was stopped on the Mass Pike, and a loaded firearm was found in the back of his truck; he could not afford the conviction and prison sentence it carried. Attorney Reinhardt had earlier succeeded in suppressing damaging statements, strengthening the case for trial. He kept harmful evidence from the jury and exposed the weakness of the prosecution with zealous cross-examination. After his closing argument, the jury deliberated less than ten minutes before acquitting the client of all charges.

Charges dismissed — Second Amendment challenge

The client was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon after police observed him carrying nunchucks. Attorney Reinhardt mounted a constitutional challenge to the law outlawing them, drafting a detailed memo arguing — under the Second Amendment and recent case law — that his client had a right to defend himself by possessing nunchucks. The argument was novel, but after persuasive argument the judge granted the motion and threw out the charges.

Charges dismissed — unlawful stop

The client was charged with illegal possession of a handgun recovered from his person as he exited a bar; he had a very limited criminal history, a solid work history, and faced a mandatory 18-month jail sentence. Attorney Reinhardt filed a motion to suppress the gun, which led to a contested hearing. Through cross-examination of the arresting officer and legal argument, he successfully challenged the stop and seizure of the gun, resulting in dismissal of the charges.

Charged with a firearms offense?

Mandatory penalties make early defense critical. Call for a free, confidential consultation.

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