Need Free Consultation? Call Us: 310-274-6529

Without proper representation, gun charges can lead to long prison sentences, the loss of your right to carry a gun, in addition to the numerous effects on your personal and professional life.

Our Criminal Attorneys handle the following crimes:

• Brandishing a firearm
• Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
• Carrying a concealed and/or loaded handgun
• Illegal discharge of a firearm
• Dealing assault weapons without a license
• Illegally selling a firearm
• Improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle
• Making false statements to obtain firearms
• Using firearms in a restricted area or for self-defense
• Manufacturing or possessing destructive devices

You also need to contact Seppi Esfandi if you have been charged with possession of any of the following weapons or circumstances:

• Machine guns or their conversion parts
• Grenade launchers and grenades
• Shotguns and short-barreled rifles
• Silencers
• Multi-burst trigger activators
• Prohibited arms including Billy Clubs, Switchblade Knives, and Brass Knuckles
• Unregistered firearms or assault weapons
• Weapon by a convicted felon

Our experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys have the ample experience when dealing with gun crime cases and has proven his efficiency by having numerous cases dropped and charges reduced. The earlier you call, the greater your chances are of winning the case.

Call Us: 310-274-6529

Levels of Charges

Similar to any criminal charge, weapons charges can fall into two categories: felony and misdemeanor. But, there are also additional penalties when gun enhancement laws get added to the sentencing.

Misdemeanor Charges

Misdemeanor gun charges in California are punishable by up to one year in the county jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000.

Felony Charges

In California, felony gun charges are punishable by one to 20 years in a state prison. The sentence’s severity is determined by the act, the offense, and the defendant’s prior criminal history.

Gun Enhancements

Pre-January 2019, there were mandatory attachments in California that the court could add to gun charges to add ten years in prison to gun possession sentences, 20 years for charges of firing a weapon, and 25+ years fort a gun that resulted in serious injury or death.

Since 2019, new state legislation in California has been implemented that gives judges more discretion when it comes to adding enhancements instead of the enhancements being mandatory. Since it is up to the judge to make that decision, it’s imperative that you have a skilled attorney to help you build a strong case and avoid any additional jail time. Seppi Esfandi will protect your rights from the very beginning of your case— not giving the prosecutor any time to prey on your vulnerable state.

2nd Amendment Rights

The Second Amendment protects your right to own and carry a firearm. Seppi Esfandi has a thorough understanding and deep knowledge of the ins and outs of this law. Over the years, Esfandi has helped countless clients get acquitted of gun charges and keep their right to own a firearm. As your California gun crime attorney, Esfandi will:

• Make all required court motions
• Gather key evidence to build your case
• Interview all witnesses
• Negotiate a favorable plea, if necessary. Or seek a reduction or dismissal of your charges
• If sentencing is unavoidable, he will seek alternative sentencing options for you, including community service, weekends in jail, or electronic surveillance

We are well-versed in using the following defenses against gun charges:

• Non-ownership of the weapon
• Illegal search and seizure
• Accidental discharge of the gun
• Entrapment by the police
• Self-defense or defense of someone else
• Prosecutorial misconduct
• The Castle Doctrine

When Can Self-Defense be Used as a Defense in California Gun Crime Cases?

To use self-defense as your defense against criminal gun charges, you must:

• Have used force or violence against someone else, but
• You did so to protect yourself, your property, or another person.

When you use self-defense as your legal defense, you essentially:

• Admit that you did break the law,
• But it was justifiable under the circumstances.

In California, defendants are said to have legally acted in self-dense if:

• They reasonably believed the immediate use of force was necessary to defend themselves against that reasonable fear of imminent danger, and
• Used no more force than what was reasonably necessary to defend themselves/others against the danger.

Questions surrounding self-defense often focus on:

• Imminent danger
• Whether there is a duty to retreat
• What happens with the initial aggressor
• A “reasonable belief” that a threat existed
• The idea of “no more force than necessary”

What is the Castle Doctrine?

The Castle Doctrine is a set of California laws that apply to situations where someone uses self-defense inside of their own home.

Under the Castle Doctrine, there is no duty to retreat if the resident is confronting an intruder in their own home. Additionally, the resident has the right to use deadly force (in self-defense) inside of their home when somebody uses force to break in.

Penal Code 198.5 PC states that when someone breaks into their home, a person is presumed to have a reasonable fear of imminent harm.

Reliable, Knowledgeable Representation

Don’t get stuck trying to fight bank fraud charges on your own. There’s a lot at stake and you deserve to have an experienced professional on your side.