In general, a weapons charge can be either a felony or a misdemeanor. This type of charge generally arises because the police stop someone and find a weapon either in their person (possession) or in their car.
One can be charged with possession of a gun, possession of a firearm by an ex-felon, brandashin, negligent discharge of a firearm, unlawful sale, etc.
A lot of times the issue in these type of cases is the search made by the officers and whether it was lawful. A skilled attorney should be able to throw out these charges if he successfully challenges the search in which a gun is found as a result.
If you are facing weapons charges, call Southern California and Los Angeles Criminal defense attorney Ramiro J. Lluis. Schedule an appointment and attack your weapons charge early.