Tampa Risk Protection Orders Lawyer

Trusted Risk Protection Orders Attorney in Tampa

Gun ownership brings you a level of security for you and your family, but also brings with it a tremendous amount of personal injury and legal responsibility. If you violate those responsibilities, you may find law enforcement removing your weapons. Unfortunately, not all these removals are justified. If you believe that your firearms and/or ammunition have been wrongfully removed by law enforcement, you may benefit from the help of a Tampa risk protection orders lawyer.

Choose Paul Figueroa Law to Handle Your Risk Protection Orders Case

Choosing to hire a Tampa risk protection orders lawyer may be exactly what you and your case need to accomplish your desired outcomes. At Paul Figueroa Law, we believe in helping you do just that.

With over 15 years of experience and time spent dedicated to serving his clients, lead attorney Paul Figueroa understands just how finicky the law can be, as well as how important your rights are to you and to your future. Under his leadership, our team tailors our services to meet your needs. Each case is unique and deserves to be treated as such. Our team not only protects your rights but also pursues the outcome you deserve.

An Overview of Risk Protection Orders in Florida

There are an estimated 518,725 guns owned in Florida alone. While protected by the Second Amendment, there are a multitude of laws and complexities that come with gun ownership. These laws are designed to protect not only the gun crime owner but also those who may be in contact with that person.

In accordance with Florida Statutes §790.401, law enforcement officers are permitted to temporarily confiscate any firearms and/or ammunition found in the possession of an individual determined to be posing a danger to themselves and/or others.

In response to this law, a Tampa Risk Protection Order, or RPO, aims to defend those individuals against such red flag laws. By contesting these orders, your lawyer can help you challenge supposed evidence throughout the hearing process, working to free you from the potential prohibitionary period where you would not be permitted to possess your firearms.

Here are some of the key elements of an RPO defense that you may benefit from understanding:

• The purpose. RPOs are typically put in place when law enforcement is concerned about gun violence. They carry these orders out by prohibiting individuals from possessing and/or purchasing ammunition and firearms for a temporary period.
• The process. The Tampa police, Hillsborough County Sheriff, or any viable federal officer can file a petition that requests that your firearms and ammunition be relinquished prior to a hearing. Once that is completed, you can oppose the order.
• The defense. By choosing to hire a risk protection order lawyer, you can challenge the allegations and the accuracy of law enforcement’s risk assessment. You can also work to have your firearms returned, as well as your right to purchase more moving forward.

Different Types of Evidence That Can Be Used in a Florida RPO Case

It may seem strange for someone outside of you and your loved ones to be allowed to assess whether you should be in possession of a firearm, but that is legal for law enforcement officers in Florida.

Here are some examples of the kind of evidence that they need to present to prove that you are a danger to yourself and/or others, ergo, that you should not be allowed to own guns and/or ammunition:

• Documentary evidence. The court typically allows police reports, body camera footage, medical records, 911 recordings, and/or mental health recordings to be used as evidence in RPO cases.
• Evidence of dangerous behaviors. If there are any documented threats of violence toward yourself or others, violent incidents, reckless use or display of firearms, and/or records of stalking within a certain time frame, this can be used as evidence in your RPO case.
• Firearm possession details. There must be evidence that you have recently acquired ammunition and/or firearms.
• Prior history. Any existing or past RPOs, convictions for domestic violence, temporary restraining orders, or convictions of any other past violent crime may be used in your case.
• Substance abuse evidence. Officers must present corroborated evidence that shows you have a history of our current issue with misusing alcohol, prescription medications, and/or controlled substances.
• Sworn affidavits. Affidavits are sworn written statements used to provide certain facts in support of the case being petitioned.
• Witness testimony. Officers can present the sworn testimonial accounts of many different individuals, including members of your household, family, job, neighborhood, and more, as well as other law enforcement officers, regarding your behavior and any threats or actions of violence.

Hire a Risk Protection Orders Lawyer

When you hire a risk protection order lawyer to handle your case, you can gain access to a number of benefits you may have otherwise overlooked.

In Florida, the cost of hiring a risk protection orders lawyer tends to vary case by case due to the unique influence of outside variables, such as who you are choosing to hire, the amount of time your case requires to be sorted out, and the level of complexity your case presents. At Paul Figueroa Law, we believe in making every expenditure feel worthwhile by working hard to help empower you in the pursuit of your desired outcomes.

You have the legal right to represent yourself in a risk protection order case in Florida. Still, many individuals have found that hiring a skilled lawyer to do so on their behalf can prove to be incredibly beneficial. Your lawyer can help your case make progress instead of stalling, make sense instead of feeling overly complex, and, above all else, make you happy with the outcome of your case.

Should your case result in spending time in a Florida courthouse, you will likely end up at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse. There, your lawyer can present your case. They can also handle scheduling and prepare you for what is ahead.

Tampa Risk Protection Orders Lawyer

If you feel that your weapon ownership has been challenged and your firearm has been taken by law enforcement, seek the help that you deserve. Contact the team at Paul Figueroa Law today to schedule a consultation. Our team will use its knowledge and experience to protect your rights. Most importantly, it is your right to own a gun.