Apparent lax gun laws in Arizona

Lately there has been a debate about the apparent lax gun laws in the State of Arizona. The highlight occurred a couple weeks ago when a speaker declined to appear in Phoenix, on account of the fact that a man standing with protestors outside the building wherein the President was speaking, was carrying an unloaded automatic weapon.

To a certain degree, Arizona is unusual in that many States will simply not allow any guns in their large municipalities. For example, in Upstate New York guns are legal, but in New York City they are illegal.

An important point to remember in Maricopa County, which is Arizona’s largest county and in which Phoenix City is located, is that the County Attorney’s Office has very strict policies concerning even the mere display of guns to threaten or intimidate other citizens. In fact, the normal plea offer requires a prison sentence, even if the gun is not discharged or actually used in a deadly manner.

After 21 years of Criminal Defense representation, I cannot stress enough how important it is not to abuse the privilege of being allowed to carry a gun in the state of Arizona. I have represented hundreds of clients who face serious consequences for even displaying a gun in a threatening manner.

Please be mindful of the responsibilities associated with gun ownership in this State. Although I have been fortunate enough to have many clients get ‘deviations’ from State policies or acquittals at trial, it is best not to put yourself in this predicament in the first place.

For further information on the policies and the law, feel free to use our Legal Review Form to become better informed.