Gun Violence Restraining Order Attorney in Los Angeles, CA, Representing Clients in GVRO Hearings in Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, and Throughout Southern California
Under California law, a firearm owner may be required to surrender their guns—sometimes on the spot—if a gun violence restraining order is filed against them. This can affect your life in significant ways, especially if you believe the restraining order was falsely or unreasonably filed against you.
The Law Offices of Christopher Chaney are standing by to help gun owners present their case and pursue restoration of their firearms and their ability to purchase weapons in the future. Contact us for a free consultation.
Gun Violence Restraining Orders in Los Angeles, CA
Since 2016, the State of California has used gun violence restraining orders (GVROs) to impel firearms owners to surrender their guns and prohibit them from purchasing new guns under section 18100 of the California Penal Code.
At the Law Offices of Christopher Chaney, a Los Angeles gun violence lawyer can help you understand your responsibilities when a restraining order is granted against you and represent your interests in a court hearing.
What Is a Gun Violence Restraining Order?
Like other types of restraining orders, a GVRO is a court order intended for the purposes of protection. A gun violence restraining order isn’t a ‘stay away’ order that applies to contact with a specific person. Instead, the provisions of this order restrict a person from owning, possessing, or purchasing firearms, ammunition, or gun parts. These orders are sometimes referred to as “red flag laws.”
Only certain people can file a gun violence restraining order against you. Generally, these people include immediate family members, employers, coworkers, teachers, and law enforcement officers.
Although gun violence restraining orders are intended to prevent unnecessary tragedies like mass shootings, they can also be wrongfully filed against people who are not a threat to themselves or others. The Law Offices of Christopher Chaney represent Respondents (people against whom petitions for GVROs are filed) in court hearings at which they seek the restoration of their firearms and their ability to lawfully purchase guns.
Areas Served by Our Los Angeles Gun Violence Lawyer
For help from an experienced gun violence restraining order attorney in Los Angeles, CA, turn to the Law Offices of Christopher Chaney. We represent clients across L.A. County and throughout Southern California, including in the following cities and communities:
- Acton
- Agoura
- Agoura Hills
- Agua Dulce
- Alhambra
- Alla
- Alondra Park
- Alpine
- Altadena
- Andrade Corner
- Antelope Acres
- Antelope Center
- Arcadia
- Artesia
- Athens
- Avalon
- Avocado Heights
- Azusa
- Baldwin Park
- Bassett
- Bell
- Bell Gardens
- Bellflower
- Beverly Hills
- Big Pines
- Bradbury
- Burbank
- Calabasas
- Carson
- Castaic
- Castaic Junction
- Cerritos
- Charter Oak
- Citrus
- City Terrace
- Claremont
- Commerce
- Compton
- Cornell
- Covina
- Cudahy
- Culver City
- Del Aire
- Del Sur
- Del Valle
- Desert View Highlands
- Diamond Bar
- Downey
- Duarte
- East Los Angeles
- East Pasadena
- East Rancho Dominguez
- East San Gabriel
- East Whittier
- Elizabeth Lake
- El Monte
- El Segundo
- Firestone Park
- Florence
- Florence-Graham
- Gardena
- Glendale
- Glendora
- Gorman
- Green Valley
- Hacienda Heights
- Hasley Canyon
- Hawaiian Gardens
- Hawthorne
- Hermosa Beach
- Hillgrove
- Hi Vista
- Hidden Hills
- Huntington Park
- Industry
- Inglewood
- Irwindale
- Juniper Hills
- Kagel Canyon
- Kinneloa Mesa
- La Cañada Flintridge
- La Crescenta-Montrose
- La Habra Heights
- La Mirada
- La Puente
- La Verne
- Ladera Heights
- Lake Hughes
- Lake Los Angeles
- Lakewood
- Lancaster
- Largo Vista
- Lawndale
- Lennox
- Leona Valley
- Littlerock
- Llano
- Lomita
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles
- Los Nietos
- Lynwood
- Malibu
- Malibu Vista
- Manhattan Beach
- Marina del Rey
- Mayflower Village
- Maywood
- Monrovia
- Monte Nido
- Montebello
- Monterey Park
- Neenach
- Ninetynine Oaks
- North El Monte
- Norwalk
- Palmdale
- Palos Verdes Estates
- Paramount
- Pasadena
- Pearblossom
- Pepperdine University
- Pico Rivera
- Pomona
- Quartz Hill
- Rancho Dominguez
- Rancho Palos Verdes
- Redondo Beach
- Rolling Hills
- Rolling Hills Estates
- Rose Hills
- Rosemead
- Rowland Heights
- San Dimas
- San Fernando
- San Gabriel
- San Marino
- San Pasqual
- Sandberg
- Sand Canyon
- Santa Clarita
- Santa Fe Springs
- Santa Monica
- Seminole Hot Springs
- Sierra Madre
- Signal Hill
- South El Monte
- South Gate
- South Monrovia Island
- South Pasadena
- South San Gabriel
- South San Jose Hills
- South Whittier
- Stevenson Ranch
- Sun Village
- Temple City
- Three Points
- Topanga
- Torrance
- Two Harbors
- Universal City
- Val Verde
- Valinda
- Valyermo
- Vernon
- View Park-Windsor Hills
- Vincent
- Walnut
- Walnut Park
- West Athens
- West Carson
- West Covina
- West Hollywood
- West Rancho Dominguez
- West Puente Valley
- West Whittier
- West Whittier-Los Nietos
- Westlake Village
- Westmont
- Whittier
- Willowbrook
What to Do If a Gun Violence Restraining Order Is Filed Against You
Step 1: Carefully Read the Papers You Have Been Served
When you are served with a petition for gun violence restraining order, you need to pay close attention to the details this paperwork contains. There are distinct forms that impose different responsibilities on you, as well as details about required court appearances.
Form GV-109, the Notice of Court Hearing, provides the date and time of a hearing for which you must appear in court.
If you also receive form GV-110 or Form EPO-002, a judge has already granted a temporary restraining order against you. Form EPO-002 is a Gun Violence Emergency Protective Order that only law enforcement personnel may request, while form GV-110 is a Temporary Restraining Order that immediate family members and certain others may request.
Either a GV-110 or an EPO-002 requires you to properly turn in or store any guns in your possession and provide documentation that shows you have complied with this order.
Step 2: Cooperate with Gun Surrender Requirements
It’s very important that you surrender all firearms as required by the temporary gun violence restraining order, even if you feel the order was wrongly filed against you. Otherwise, you may face criminal charges at the state or federal level.
If a law enforcement officer serves you the temporary gun violence restraining order, you may be required to surrender your firearms to the officer at once. Otherwise, you generally have only 24 hours to comply and only 48 hours to provide proof of compliance by submitting receipts along with form GV-800 (Proof of Firearms Turned In, Sold, or Stored).
Step 3: Consult a Los Angeles Gun Violence Lawyer for Assistance
As soon as you have been notified of a gun violence restraining order petition against you, reach out to an attorney. Although you aren’t legally required to hire an attorney to represent you in a GVRO case, the California Courts Self-Help Guide recommends hiring a lawyer due to the complexity of the matter and the consequences of having a restraining order against you.
An experienced gun violence restraining order attorney in Los Angeles, CA, can help you sort out the next steps. Your attorney can assist you with obligations like responding to the petition and documenting your compliance with the restraining order. If you have questions about how to turn in or store any guns you currently own to comply with the order, you can turn to us for answers.
Step 4: Prepare for the Hearing
Although a temporary or emergency restraining order may require you to turn in your guns for the moment, these orders only last until your hearing. At that time, based on the information provided by both sides during the hearing, a judge will decide whether to grant a final Gun Violence Restraining Order.
There’s a lot riding on the outcome of this hearing. If the hearing does not go in your favor, you’re looking at being denied the opportunity to own or purchase firearms for anywhere from one to five years under a final Gun Violence Restraining Order (form GV-100). This order may be renewed, potentially extending its impact on your life indefinitely. However, if the judge rules in your favor, you can begin the process of requesting restoration of the guns you have turned in. You also regain the ability to purchase firearms and ammunition in the future.
The hearing is a chance for you to present your case, backed by evidence, to the judge who will decide whether you will be permitted to legally own and purchase firearms. Having a Los Angeles gun violence lawyer on your side means you don’t have to compile this evidence and build a strong argument in your favor all on your own. You’re bringing in a professional to handle this for you. Your attorney will also help you understand what to expect during the hearing, including what the process entails, the rules of a courtroom, and your role in the hearing.
Contact a Gun Violence Restraining Order Attorney at the Law Offices of Christopher Chaney for a Free Consultation
With a gun violence restraining order hanging over your head, you won’t be able to retrieve your guns or purchase new ones. Your court hearing gives you the opportunity to make your case for why the restraining order shouldn’t be granted, but without knowledge of the legal system, you may have a hard time presenting a compelling case. For help from a gun violence restraining order attorney in Los Angeles, CA, contact the Law Offices of Christopher Chaney online or call (310) 209-3999 today.
