Defending Gun Charges
Defending clients facing firearms charges and protecting Second Amendment rights. Serving Miami, Miami-Dade County, and all of Florida.
Defending Your Freedom
and Your Rights
Firearm Rights Defense
Weapons charges in Miami can carry mandatory-minimum prison time and the permanent loss of your right to own a firearm. We defend both your freedom and your rights.
10-20-Life Exposure
Florida's 10-20-Life law imposes harsh mandatory minimums when a firearm is used in certain crimes. We fight to keep these enhancements from applying.
Search & Seizure Challenges
Many weapons cases begin with a stop or search. If police lacked lawful grounds, the firearm evidence may be suppressed.
Weapons Charges Carry
Mandatory Minimums
Florida treats firearm offenses harshly, and some carry mandatory prison time that a judge cannot avoid. If you are facing weapons charges in Miami, the enhancement itself is often worth fighting.
Your Defense Process
We handle the legal fight so you can focus on your life, your family, and your future.
Confidential Case Review
Your first consultation with HOV Law is free and confidential. We review your arrest, the exact gun charges charges, the evidence against you, and any constitutional issues in how it was gathered — then map out your options.
Investigation & Discovery
We obtain the police report, body-cam and dash-cam footage, witness statements, and lab or test results, and scrutinize every step for illegal stops, searches, or procedural errors that can weaken the State's case in Miami.
Motions & Negotiation
Where the facts support it, we file motions to suppress evidence or dismiss the case, and negotiate with the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office for reduced charges, diversion, or dismissal before trial.
Trial Defense
If the State will not offer a fair resolution, we are ready to try your case. HOV Law prepares every gun charges matter for trial before a Miami-Dade County jury, and that readiness is often what drives a better outcome.
Miami Gun Charges Lawyer — Defending Weapons Cases in Florida
Firearm and weapons charges in Miami are prosecuted aggressively, and some carry mandatory-minimum prison sentences that limit a judge's discretion. Florida's weapons laws (Fla. Stat. Chapter 790) cover everything from carrying without a license to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
HOV Law defends the full range of these cases and focuses on two things: whether the firearm evidence was lawfully obtained, and whether a mandatory enhancement truly applies. Both can dramatically change the outcome.
Your consultation is free and confidential.
Common Florida Weapons Charges
- Carrying a concealed firearm without a license—A third-degree felony in many circumstances, though Florida law on lawful carry has changed and the facts matter.
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon—A serious felony that can carry a mandatory-minimum prison sentence.
- Improper exhibition of a firearm—Displaying a weapon in a rude, careless, or threatening manner, typically a misdemeanor.
- Discharging a firearm in public—A felony depending on the circumstances and location.
- Possession of a firearm during another felony—Triggers Florida's 10-20-Life enhancements.
Florida's 10-20-Life Law
Florida's "10-20-Life" statute imposes mandatory-minimum sentences when a firearm is used in the commission of certain felonies: generally a 10-year minimum for producing a firearm, 20 years for discharging one, and 25 years to life if someone is shot. Because these minimums are mandatory, a judge cannot sentence below them once they apply.
That is why so much weapons defense focuses on keeping the enhancement from attaching in the first place — challenging whether a firearm was actually used, discharged, or possessed as alleged. In Miami, we fight the enhancement as hard as the underlying charge.
How We Defend Weapons Charges in Miami-Dade County
- Search and seizure—If the stop or search that found the firearm was unlawful, we move to suppress the evidence.
- Possession disputes—"Constructive possession" cases require the State to prove you knew about and controlled the weapon, which is often contestable.
- Lawful-carry defenses—Florida's carry laws contain exceptions and defenses that may apply to your situation.
- Enhancement challenges—We contest whether 10-20-Life or other enhancements legally apply to your Miami case.
Related Practice Areas in Miami
Gun Charges charges often overlap with other criminal allegations. Our Miami defense attorneys also handle these related areas:
Other Criminal Defense Services in Miami
Also serving Miami for Personal Injury:
Serge Hovhanessian, Esq.
Founding Attorney at HOV Law | Florida Bar | Million Dollar Advocates Forum | Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyers
Attorney Hovhanessian defends the accused across Florida — protecting your rights, your record, and your freedom.Read full bio →
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Miami Gun Charges FAQs
Do I need a license to carry a firearm in Florida?
Florida's carry laws have changed in recent years, and whether a license is required depends on the specific facts and how you were carrying. If you have been charged with carrying without a license, we can assess whether a defense applies.
What is Florida's 10-20-Life law?
It imposes mandatory-minimum prison sentences when a firearm is used in certain felonies — generally 10 years for displaying one, 20 for discharging it, and 25-to-life if someone is shot. Because the minimums are mandatory, fighting the enhancement is critical.
Can a convicted felon ever possess a firearm?
Under Florida and federal law, a convicted felon generally cannot possess a firearm or ammunition, and violations carry serious mandatory penalties. Restoration of rights is a separate legal process. We defend possession-by-a-felon charges vigorously.
The gun wasn't mine — can I still be charged?
Yes, through "constructive possession," if a weapon was found in a car or home you controlled. But the State must prove you knew about it and had the ability to control it — which we can challenge.
Can weapons charges be reduced or dismissed?
Yes. If the firearm was found through an illegal search, or a mandatory enhancement does not legally apply, charges can be reduced or dismissed. We examine both the evidence and the sentencing exposure.
Why is early representation so important in gun cases?
Because mandatory minimums can take sentencing out of the judge's hands, the defense strategy has to start early — before decisions are locked in. Call HOV Law at (407) 801-0101 as soon as possible.
Facing Weapons Charges in
Miami?
Mandatory-minimum exposure makes early defense critical. Contact HOV Law for a free, confidential consultation in Miami.