What Is A Firearm Enhancement And How Will It Affect My Criminal Case?

Ray Hrdlicka – Host – Attorneys.Media

“So, now I’d like to take a little change in direction and talk about firearm enhancements. As you know, we publish ‘Crime, Justice & America’ magazine that goes inside the jail, and we wrote an article, actually one of our attorneys in another state wrote an article about firearm enhancements, and it was well received by everybody. Because they wanted to know ‘what happens if I use a gun’? And it is significant, it is serious, it is very life changing in many of those circumstances. Because they don’t think about it ahead of time. So, let’s talk about firearm enhancements. Essentially, what is a firearm enhancement, and how does it relate to the underlying crime?”

Spencer Freeman – Criminal Defense Attorney – Pierce County, WA

“So, generally speaking, a firearm enhancement is going to be, like here in the State of Washington, I guess it depends on the crime actually, but it’s an extra sentence on top of whatever sentence a defendant receives for the underlying crime. For instance, if somebody’s charged with ‘possession of narcotics with intent to deliver’, that crime right there has its own set of guidelines for sentencing. So, let’s say somebody in those guidelines, its 24 months in this particular instance. But that defendant was caught doing the crime with a gun. Then that gun, in that particular situation, would have a three-year added sentence on top of…”

Ray Hrdlicka – Host – Attorneys.Media

“Above the two years?”

Spencer Freeman – Criminal Defense Attorney – Pierce County, WA

“Above the two years. And here in the State of Washington, on a criminal sentence, the Department of Corrections has the ability to give people what’s called ‘good time’. So, it’s very common that maybe you get a third off of your time when you’re serving a sentence. The Department of Corrections does not have the ability to grant any ‘good time’ on that firearm enhancement. So, that three-year period would be served straight out and consecutive to any other sentence. So, it can really drastically change the landscape of a case when your talking about settlement or risks at trial, when there is a firearm that’s involved. And they’re commonly involved.”

Born and raised in Colorado, Mr. Freeman stayed in the Pacific Northwest after graduating cum laude from Seattle University School of Law in 1995, at which time he was awarded the National Order of Barristers by the National Board of Governors. After gaining extensive trial experience as a prosecutor for the City of Tacoma, Mr. Freeman worked locally for several small law firms focused on personal injury and criminal defense. In 2000, he began to work at a downtown Seattle law firm, where he worked with some of the best lawyers in the nation. During the better part of the next six years, Mr. Freeman was blessed to do work for one of the largest national television providers litigating matters involving the theft of encrypted satellite signals. During this time, he worked closely with corporate counsel and assisted in developing and managing a national litigation campaign. He appeared in federal courts throughout the nation, gaining extensive experience in both federal court litigation and the pursuit of intellectual property thieves attempting to hide on the Internet.

In late 2005, Mr. Freeman decided to open a practice in Tacoma, where his family was growing. Mr. Freeman’s connections locally and nationally nourished his practice over time. He has served the local community as well as handling cases in federal courts across the country. Locally, Mr. Freeman has assisted local businesses in such matters as contentious shareholder disputes and individuals in matters ranging from catastrophic injuries to class A felonies as well as lawsuits against insurance companies for bad faith claims practices. He tried a Whatcom County Superior Court case for a bail bond company that resulted in the first appellate law in Washington truly outlining the rights of fugitive recovery agents. He has tried cases in many counties throughout the State of Washington, argued before the Court of Appeals Division I and Division II and the Washington State Supreme Court.

Mr. Freeman’s practice has taken him beyond Washington State, where he has handled cases for national Internet multi-media companies enforcing copyrights in states such as Florida, Nevada, Arizona, and California. In those cases, he has successfully argued for jurisdiction in the United States against individuals that reside in other countries. Mr. Freeman also represented a publisher against sheriffs regarding First Amendment Rights to distribute a magazine in county jails, resulting in arguments before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the first case law of its kind. He has argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals five times and submitted a briefing to the United States Supreme Court.

On more than several occasions, Mr. Freeman has been retained by parties on the near eve of a trial solely for purpose of being lead trial counsel. One such successful case was against the U.S. Department of Justice in their first trial attempting to enforce the CAN-SPAM Act for the actions of independent contractors.

Mr. Freeman’s passion and strength lay in front of a jury. He finds a beautiful balance between fact witnesses, statutes, case law, rules of evidence, and the different contexts of each jury. Most cases find a resolution before trial, but the best resolution occurs when counsel is prepared to try the case. And, when a case cannot find resolution, Mr. Freeman loves to go to work.