Will Illinois Residents Ever Be Able to Legally Carry Concealed Weapons?
If some lobbyists and many Illinois residents get there way, the state may soon join 48 others in permitting concealed weapons. Yes, only Illinois and Wisconsin hold out as states who do not allow residents to carry. According to this article from the Post-Dispatch Springfield, the battle lines have been drawn.
Gun control is at the center of this debate, with people who quote the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms on one side and people who believe an increase in firearms will cause an increase in violence on the other. Both sides feel passionately about their position and both are willing to fight for it.
Lobbyists are working towards a debate on the state Legislature floor, which would get them one step closer to their ultimate goal. They site no rise in violence among states that have recently made it permissible for citizens to carry concealed firearms and also point to a recent Supreme Court case that struck down a law in D.C. prohibiting the possession of firearms.
Gun control advocates, however, state that allowing concealed weapons will increase the sale of weapons overall and this, in turn, will lead to an increase in gun violence. They feel that by allowing people to carry weapons, they will not create a safer-feeling community, but quite the opposite.
Illinois does have some fairly stringent gun laws and people currently caught in violation are going against a court founded on gun control. This means that they may face serious misdemeanor or even felony charges and the potential prison sentences that go with it.
Because Illinois is one of the two last hold outs in the country when it comes to states that allow concealed weapons, it seems to be only a matter of time before that changes. In the meantime, facing charges like carrying a concealed weapon can damage a person’s reputation and their future.
Having an experienced Illinois defense attorney should be the first order of business when accused of a weapons offense. If you or someone you love is facing a charge in Illinois, contact us for a consultation on the case and to see how we might be able to help. The consultation is free.