The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently overturned a conviction when the jury found a 52-year-old Wisconsin man guilty of knowingly possessing an unregistered rifle and silencer. The federal appeals court said the jury let character evidence and prejudicial error interfere with its decision. The man could be considered eccentric because of some strange items in and around his house, the court said, but they could find no actual evidence of criminal intent.

The gun in question had a broken stock and a cut-off barrel. A man testified that the gun broke after he hit a raccoon over the head while hunting.The man in question said he had inherited the gun, and he thought it was a pistol. The man said the silencer was an oil filter he had fashioned into a flash suppressor for his shotgun.

If you have been accused of a gun crime, a criminal defense lawyer may be able to help in your defense. Contact the Milwaukee firearm defense attorneys of Kohler & Hart, LLP, today by calling 888-565-7597.