Acquittal in Felony Gun Case

In October 2007, Attorney Morgan Masters defended the case of State of Ohio vs. Jared Ellis. After a traffic stop, Columbus police arrested Mr. Ellis for carrying a loaded handgun, despite having a state-issued license to carry a firearm. In Ohio, it is a felony to improperly transport a firearm in a motor vehicle in certain circumstances, and Ellis could have served prison time as well as a lifetime ban on ever possessing a handgun again. Mr. Ellis turned down a plea offer to a misdemeanor charge, the punishment for which likely would have been no more than a small fine. Believing he did nothing illegal, Mr. Ellis placed his faith in Attorney Masters in defense of the allegations. The State presented 3 separate officers to testify under oath, all who portrayed Ellis as a guilty defendant. When time came for the defense to present its case, Ellis himself testified to facts contrary to that of the earlier testimony from the officers. During closing arguments, Masters pleaded to the jury for justice, and justice was served. The jury returned in less than 10 minutes with a Not Guilty verdict.