"The best possible team you could have on your side! The trial knowledge, the expertise, the professionalism, relate to you on your level with respect! This firm truly cares. I wouldn't trust any other attys! They are top notch and I highly recommend them! THANK YOU MR. CHASTANG FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND HONESTY ABOUT REPRESENTATION.
Weapons Crime Defense Attorney Serving Bartow, Lakeland, and Central Florida
Free Consultation
Lakeland Weapons Crime Defense Lawyer - Criminal Law
Experienced Firearm and Weapons Crime Defense attorney providing Criminal Law Legal Services in Bartow, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, Polk County, and the greater Central Florida area.
Call 863-354-0508 today to schedule a Free Consultation with weapons crime defense lawyer, Robert A. Norgard.
Don’t Lose Your Right To Bear Arms
The State of Florida enforces some of the most stringent and complex firearm laws in the nation. While the Second Amendment protects your right to bear arms, navigating the boundary between lawful gun ownership and a severe criminal felony charge can be razor-thin. A conviction for a weapons offense can result in mandatory state prison sentences, massive fines, and the permanent revocation of your right to own or possess a firearm.
If you or a loved one is facing a gun or weapons charge, you cannot afford to leave your defense to chance. At the Law Office of Robert A. Norgard, located in Bartow, Florida, we provide aggressive, highly strategic criminal defense representation. We serve clients throughout Bartow, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, and all surrounding communities in Polk County and the greater Central Florida area.
Weapons charges are unique because they often involve intricate constitutional questions regarding law enforcement procedures, vehicle stops, and the Fourth Amendment protection against unlawful search and seizure. Defending these cases successfully requires a lawyer who understands how to challenge police evidence before it ever reaches a jury.
Florida Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer
The Specialist Advantage: Attorney Robert A. Norgard has been Board-Certified in Criminal Trial Law by The Florida Bar since 1995 and has tried over 200 criminal jury trials.
As a certified specialist—a distinction held by fewer than 1% of practicing attorneys in Florida—Mr. Norgard has the advanced legal insight necessary to aggressively attack the state's case, file motions to suppress illegally obtained evidence, and vigorously protect your freedom in the courtroom.
Gun and weapons crimes in Florida carry varying levels of severity, ranging from first-degree misdemeanors to high-level felonies. Our firm provides comprehensive defense against all types of weapons allegations, including:
Concealed Carry Violations (F.S. § 790.01)
While Florida enacted "Constitutional Carry" laws allowing eligible citizens to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, strict legal boundaries remain. If you do not meet the legal criteria to carry a weapon (such as being under 21 years old or possessing a prior felony record) and carry a concealed firearm or weapon unlawfully, you can be charged with a First-Degree Misdemeanor or a Third-Degree Felony.
Felon in Possession of a Firearm (F.S. § 790.23)
It is a severe Second-Degree Felony for any convicted felon to own, care for, control, or possess a firearm, ammunition, or electric weapon in Florida. This charge is aggressively pursued by local prosecutors and carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 3 years, with maximum penalties reaching up to 15 years in state prison.
Improper Exhibition of a Firearm or Weapon (F.S. § 790.10)
If a person handles, shows, or exhibits a firearm or dangerous weapon in a rude, careless, angry, or threatening manner in the presence of one or more persons, they face a First-Degree Misdemeanor, carrying up to 1 year in county jail.
Discharging a Firearm in Public (F.S. § 790.15)
Knowingly discharging a firearm in any public place, on the right-of-way of any paved public road, or over any occupied premises is a First-Degree Misdemeanor. If the weapon is discharged from a vehicle, the charge can quickly escalate to a felony.
Weapons Trafficking and Unlawful Sale (F.S. § 790.065)
Engaging in the unlawful sale, manufacturing, delivery, or trafficking of firearms—including violating background check requirements or selling to a prohibited person—carries severe state and federal felony penalties.
Florida's 10-20-Life statutory framework
If a firearm or destructive device is possessed, displayed, or used during the commission of another underlying crime (such as aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, or drug trafficking offenses), Florida's severe 10-20-Life statutory framework imposes mandatory minimum prison sentences that judges are legally required to hand down:
- 10-Year Mandatory Minimum: If you pull, carry, or display a firearm during the commission of a designated felony offense.
- 20-Year Mandatory Minimum: If you intentionally discharge the firearm during the commission of the designated crime, even if no one is physically injured by the gunfire.
- 25 Years to Life: If anyone is severely injured or killed as a result of the firearm being discharged during the commission of the underlying offense.
These mandatory sentences are served consecutively to any sentence received for the underlying crime, making early legal intervention by a veteran trial attorney absolutely paramount.
Defending your rights against Firearm and Weapons Charges
An arrest does not automatically mean you will be convicted. We carefully review every piece of evidence, dispatch audio, bodycam footage, and police report to develop a highly tailored defense strategy, which may include:
- Unlawful Search and Seizure: Did local law enforcement stop your vehicle, search your pockets, or enter your home without a valid warrant, a recognized exception, or actual probable cause? If your civil rights were violated, we will file a Motion to Suppress to strip the state of their primary evidence.
- Lack of Knowledge or Possession (Constructive Possession): If a firearm was found in a shared vehicle or home, the state must prove you had direct knowledge of the weapon's presence and exercised physical control over it. We challenge the state's ability to link the weapon directly to you.
- Florida's Stand Your Ground Law (F.S. § 776.032): If you displayed or used a firearm to defend yourself or others against an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm, you may be immune from criminal prosecution. We aggressively pursue Stand Your Ground immunity hearings when applicable to get charges entirely dismissed.
A gun or weapons conviction carries severe consequences that can strip you of your freedom and permanently erase your constitutional right to bear arms. Do not walk into a Polk County courtroom alone to face seasoned state prosecutors. Put an experienced, Board-Certified criminal trial specialist by your side to protect your rights, your livelihood, and your future.
Contact the Law Office of Robert A. Norgard today to schedule your legal consultation at our Bartow law office.
Call 863-354-0508 today to schedule your Free Consultation with Lakeland weapons crime defense attorney, Robert A. Norgard.
What Our Clients Say
"Experience, when experience counts."
