Possession Of A Firearm Near School Grounds - Penal Code 626.9
Anyone caught within a thousand feet of a school in Los Angeles County can and will be prosecuted under California Penal Code Section 626.9. Typically, the bail for this type of charge will start at $50,000.00.
If other factors warrant a judge having the individual post a higher bail, then the bail could certainly be much higher than $50,000.00. In today's society, with the school shootings that have occurred across the country, you can bet the prosecutors, police, and judges will be dealing with anyone possessing a weapon near a school extremely seriously.
They will be looking to take their firearm rights away, send them to prison, and punish them to the fullest extent of the law.
Factors Considered for Possessing a Firearm Near a School
Authorities often also investigate why a person is possessing a firearm near school grounds.
In other words, are they looking to bring the firearm in and do some sort of shooting, or are they looking to commit some other crime off school grounds?
Perhaps there is some other reason for the possession of the firearm close to the school that has nothing to do with the person intending to commit some sort of criminal act. This is the type of inquiry that authorities are conducting today regarding the possession of firearms near schools across Los Angeles County.
I've handled a number of incidents related to school violence in Los Angeles. When it comes to firearms, obviously, this is the most serious type of infraction that the police will pursue.
If they determine that a student brings a gun onto a school campus – even if they don't intend to commit any type of violent act – that student will likely be expelled by the school and will be facing serious criminal charges.
Another big thing that I see is students now, because of the news and other reasons, are telling their classmates through social media or even in person that they're going to shoot up the school or get a certain person. Then those students say to their parents, and the parents ultimately tell the authorities.
The authorities take these types of threats very seriously, especially in today's climate, where there have been numerous shootings and numerous deaths that could have been avoided if there had been precautions in place.
Retain an Experienced Criminal Lawyer
So, if you or a loved one is charged with any type of firearm offense related to the school grounds, you're going to want to get an attorney who has handled these types of cases before and knows how to deal with them effectively.
In other words, sometimes there is more to these cases than meets the eye, and your version of events needs to be communicated to the authorities.
Many times, I see the police do a one-sided investigation spurred on by fear and speculation instead of actually doing an investigation that includes looking at everything, talking to everybody, and really trying to get behind what actually happened. It's the job of your criminal defense attorney – whether it be at the juvenile level or the adult level – to make sure that your version of events is given to the prosecutors and the judge so that you're treated fairly and not treated in such a manner that you do not get a fair shake in the criminal justice system.
Gun Violence On School Grounds And the Juvenile Courthouse
Juvenile courts handle gun violence cases all the time across Los Angeles County, and this is on the high priority list for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office when it comes to making sure that anybody involved with a gun – whether they be a minor or adult – is treated harshly, is deterred from committing future crimes and is dealt with in such a manner that the public is protected.
So, suppose you or your minor son or daughter is charged with an offense related to a gun, either on or near a school campus. In that case, you're going to want to get an attorney who can do damage control and who can really get your version of events across to the prosecutors.
As you can guess, gun violence in America today, especially in schools, is something that is on the high priority list for prosecutors, police, and judges.
They're going to do everything they can to protect the public, and they're going to do everything they can to make sure that the person who is caught with a gun, either on or near school grounds, is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
What I have you do if you have a case where a gun was involved, and it was near a school campus, is have you come into the office? We go over everything under the cloak of the attorney-client privilege.
Next Step in Your Defense
Obviously, I encourage you to be honest and straightforward and give me all the details so I can properly defend you or your minor son or daughter. Once everything is laid out on the table, we can set about our defense strategy.
I'll let you know what I need from you to be successful and give you an idea of what I'm going to do moving forward. Knowing how the case is going to be defended, what you're up against, and what the minor is facing usually brings a sense of peace, calm, and control back to a very tense and difficult situation.
So, call the Hedding Law Firm today. We'll go over everything, and we'll get this case on the right track.
