ENFORCING YOUR RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS FOR OVER 4 DECADES
One of these, and one of the most important, is the right to keep and bear arms.
There are many reasons you may choose to exercise your constitutional right to be armed, as embodied in the Second Amendment of our Constitution. You may simply wish to keep a firearm in your home for self-protection. You may wish to carry a firearm as you go about your daily activities, which the United States Supreme Court recently held you have the right to do. You may wish to engage in target shooting, either informally or in organized competitions. Many people have done so for years and find it extremely rewarding and just plain fun! It is relatively inexpensive too.
You may wish to obtain a license for a firearm to keep in your place of business, especially if you are in retail and sell high value items. You may wish to secure employment in the field of private security, where being armed will result in an increase in pay.
Firearm Licensing in New York
Recent Supreme Court Decision
Recently, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision which was critical of the New York City Police Department License Division. The case was The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.
This was great news for people like you and I. Unfortunately, many in our government did not think so. The governor called the decision "horrific." In my opinion, based upon many dealings with the NYPD, there are quite a few people in New York City government who feel the same way. It seems clear that the NYPD is trying to erect a bureaucratic obstacle course to frustrate a clear decision of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The average citizen has the right to be issued a license to carry a firearm for 'ordinary self-defense needs.'
Firearm Licensing Before Bruen
Before the decision in Bruen, it was very, very difficult to obtain a license to carry a firearm in the City of New York. Movie stars and other politically connected people often got them. So did retired police officers. People who dealt in large amounts of cash or other valuables sometimes did.
It is still difficult, many feel, to obtain a pistol license in New York City. This is wrong, but it is reality. Especially if you have potential problems in your background, such as an arrest or many moving violations on your driver's license, you are far better off with an attorney.
If you behave as a sheep, the wolves will eat you!
Hiring an Attorney Can Make a Difference
It is true that some people obtain licenses without counsel. Some people are lucky!
ABOUT ME
I have been a practicing attorney in the City of New York for over 40 years. I have been dealing with the New York City Police Department Licence Division, which issues pistol and rifle and shotgun licenses, throughout that time. I have had considerable success in helping people like you and I obtain firearms licenses, even when the NYPD did not want to issue them.
I have been a litigator my entire career and have tried over 50 cases in the Supreme Courts of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan, and the federal courts for the Eastern & Southern Districts of New York. I have litigated over 200 cases in federal court, and almost all were against the City of New York and its police department. Over 85% of these were settled on terms favorable to my clients.
Unlike many lawyers, I have no hesitation about taking the City of New York and its police officers to court when they disregard the law concerning firearms licenses. Sad to say, this happens all too often. At the risk of stating the obvious, in my opinion, it is clear that the governments of the city and state of New York don’t like guns and will do just about anything they can to keep them out of the hands of private citizens. I have had considerable success in beating the government in Court and forcing it to obey the law and issue pistol licenses to people who want them and have a right to them.
In addition, I have a lifelong interest in guns and the shooting sports. I believe in the Second Amendment and am serious in my work to enforce people’s right to own and possess guns. If you hire me, I will do EVERYTHING permitted by law to enforce your rights under the Second Amendment.
I have never charged anyone for an initial consultation; you may speak with me for free. As you will quickly discover, I am a no-nonsense kind of guy. I offer results, not talk. I will tell you the truth about your particular situation, even if it is not what you want to hear.
I wish I could tell you that firearms licensing in New York is quick, easy and inexpensive. It is none of those things. Our current mayor has openly stated “We need to ban all guns”, and our governor has made similar statements. Thankfully, the United States Supreme Court disagrees with them, and has said as much in a recent decision.
I received my bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. I received my Juris Doctorate from Brooklyn Law School in 1983. I have been in private practice since the year 1989.
I have never worked for any government agency as a lawyer, and I am not beholden to any such agency. I have spent my career keeping our government honest, and if you hire me, that is what I’ll do for you. Most people will agree that the licensing process in New York City can be daunting, to say the least. You are always better off and have better chances of obtaining a license without the needless wastage of time, money & effort, if you have help in the application process. The NYPD has made it clear that the only people who are permitted to represent you are attorneys licensed to practice in the state of New York. I am one of these.