Commonwealth v. Joe D. – Lawrence District Court

ATTORNEY GERALD J. NOONAN GETS GUN CHARGE DISMISSED AGAINST UNITED STATES POSTAL WORKER FOR NEGLIGENTLY LOSING HIS SHOTGUN.

Defendant, a resident of Methuen, was going hunting with his son in Methuen. When he was loading his hunting equipment into his truck, he forgot that he placed his shotgun on the top of his trunk cover. He drove to the hunting site with the shotgun still lying on his trunk cover. When he arrived to the hunting location, he realized that he mistakenly left the shotgun on his trunk cover. Defendant was charged with Improper Storage of a Firearm (G.L. c. 140, §131L).

Result: Attorney Gerald J. Noonan argued that his client made an innocent mistake. It was purely accidental. He had no malicious intent and wasn’t grossly negligent. This was something that could happen to anybody. When he discovered that the shotgun was missing, his client acted responsibly by immediately reporting it to the police. Attorney Noonan presented evidence that his client has been a responsible gun owner his entire life. Finally, Attorney Noonan argued that his client has been employed as a United States Postal Worker for nearly 15 years and a criminal charge on his record had the potential to affect his employment. After hearing, the clerk dismissed the criminal complaint.