What Happens if You’re Caught Breaking the Law While Carrying a Weapon in Wisconsin?

Possessing a weapon during a crime can enhance any penalties

Wisconsin does not treat weaponry lightly. If you’re caught breaking the law, and it turns out you’re carrying a weapon that Wisconsin law would consider dangerous, you could face additional penalties or more severe charges. Even if you didn’t plan to use the weapon, you could still face extra consequences.

A dangerous weapon by Wisconsin standards is basically a deadly weapon or one that could really hurt someone. A gun, for example, or something that you could use to easily strangle someone, would be considered dangerous. Electric weapons are also included. A baseball bat can also be a dangerous weapon if it was used to hurt or threaten someone.

Wisconsin law allows for a distinction between simply possessing this weapon and committing a crime in which the weapon is central to the crime. For example, carrying a gun when you’re caught breaking into a building is treated differently (regarding the gun) from armed robbery. Armed robbery focuses on a robbery that includes the use of a gun. But breaking into a building doesn’t necessarily need to involve weaponry, so the presence of that gun brings in extra penalties that you wouldn’t otherwise face.

You could face anywhere from six months to five years of extra jail time because you had a dangerous weapon on you when you commit a crime, so this is not a penalty to brush off lightly. Your potential penalty will depend on the severity of the underlying crime (e.g., misdemeanor or felony).

Do what you can to reduce those extra penalties with the help of an attorney. Call Eisenberg Law Offices at 608-256-8356 and speak with a legal expert who can guide you through the court process and try to get your charges reduced. Because the potential penalties can be so severe, you need to do everything you can to protect yourself.