ACCA: The 15-Year Mandatory Minimum The Armed Career Criminal Act at 18 U.S.C. § 924(e) transforms a §922(g) felon-in-possession conviction from a 10-year statutory maximum into a 15-year mandatory minimum — with up to life imprisonment. ACCA applies when a §922(g) defendant has three prior qualifying convictions for “violent felonies” or “serious drug offenses” committed … Read more
§924(c): The Federal Gun-Stacking Statute 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) is among the harshest provisions in federal criminal law. It imposes mandatory consecutive sentences on defendants who use or carry a firearm during a drug trafficking crime or crime of violence. A single §924(c) count adds at least 5 years consecutive to the underlying sentence — … Read more
Federal Felon-in-Possession Prosecutions Federal felon-in-possession charges under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) are among the most common federal prosecutions in Kentucky. When state officers encounter a firearm in possession of someone with a prior felony, ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office frequently pick up the case as a federal prosecution — where penalties dwarf state-court exposure. … Read more
Firearm Convictions Are a Specific Immigration Deportation Ground Federal immigration law contains a specific deportability ground for firearm convictions that is distinct from other criminal grounds. Under INA § 237(a)(2)(C), any non-citizen convicted of a firearms offense is deportable. This ground applies broadly and doesn’t require aggravated felony classification or CIMT analysis. Whether you are … Read more
Kentucky Concealed Carry Law and Criminal Charges Kentucky became a permitless-carry state in 2019, allowing most lawful adults to carry concealed firearms without a Concealed Carry of Deadly Weapons (CCDW) license. But this doesn’t mean firearms carry is unrestricted. Specific locations, certain categories of people, and particular circumstances still trigger criminal charges for firearms offenses. … Read more
Firearms Offense Defense in Louisville, KY Gun charges in Louisville, Kentucky carry severe penalties that can include years in prison, permanent loss of your right to possess firearms, and a felony record that follows you for life. Louisville has seen increased federal and state prosecution of firearms offenses in recent years through initiatives like Project … Read more