Ohio Weapons Offenses Defense
Carrying concealed weapons, weapons under disability, firearms in vehicles, and discharge offenses. McCown, Fisher & Cremeans LPA defends these charges across nine Southern Ohio counties from offices in Ironton and Chesapeake, with more than 50 combined years of trial experience. Select a charge below for a detailed breakdown of the statute, how Ohio grades it, the penalties, and the defenses that apply.
Carrying Concealed Weapons
Ohio is a permitless-carry state for qualifying adults — but CCW charges still happen: to people legally prohibited from carrying, in off-limits places, or when other rules are broken. The legality of the search is almost always the first question.
Carrying Concealed Weapons defense → R.C. 2923.13Having Weapons While Under Disability
This is the weapons charge that bites hardest: a third-degree felony for possessing a firearm while legally prohibited — usually because of a prior felony, a drug offense, or a pending indictment. Possession and the search are the battlegrounds.
Having Weapons While Under Disability defense → R.C. 2923.16Improperly Handling Firearms in a Vehicle
Having a gun in a car is lawful — until the State says it was loaded and accessible, or that you were impaired. The charge spans misdemeanor to felony, and it almost always starts with a vehicle search.
Improperly Handling Firearms in a Vehicle defense → R.C. 2923.15Using Weapons While Intoxicated
You can be charged for carrying or using a firearm while intoxicated even if you never fired it and were otherwise allowed to have it. It’s a first-degree misdemeanor that turns on proof of impairment.
Using Weapons While Intoxicated defense → R.C. 2923.16x & 2923.161Discharge of a Firearm
Firing a gun in the wrong place is a felony in Ohio, and discharging into a home is among the most serious weapons offenses short of an assault. Intent, identity, and forensic linkage are the contested points.
Discharge of a Firearm defense →Why Early Defense Matters
The most consequential decisions in a criminal case are made early — often before the first court date. Evidence is fresh, witnesses are available, surveillance and body-camera footage still exists, and the prosecution has not yet committed to a theory. The sooner we are reviewing the stop, the search, and the State’s evidence, the more leverage you have. Call (740) 532-8744 for a free, confidential review.