[Blackhawk Dave]

Any excuse to add more time. Possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime adds time. Usually gets reduced down in the sentencing part unless we're talking armed assualt, etc.

Thing is, some super-litigeous prosecutors will go after you for illegal firearm possession if they find the remains of a joint in the ash tray instead of writing a ticket for possession (and yes, it is legal for the police in Texas to do that rather than arresting you. However, they like the arrest statistics to support more money for the department and the ability to seize assets - I used to work as an investigator for a large city in Texas)