Third Circuit Lets Some Nonviolent Felons Own Guns, Upholds Ban for 2002 Carjacking Convict
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 14
Third Circuit Lets Some Nonviolent Felons Own Guns, Upholds Ban for 2002 Carjacking Convict
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 14
Summary
Two Third Circuit rulings said the federal felon-in-possession ban is constitutional only when a prior conviction involved violence or credible threats of gun misuse.
Edward Williams won relief because his early-2000s drunk-driving convictions did not show that kind of risk, while James Bost remained barred from gun ownership over convictions tied to a 2002 carjacking.
Judge Paul Matey rejected the Justice Department's reliance on historical limits for "habitual drunkards," calling Williams a peaceable citizen whose constitutional rights could be restored after rehabilitation.
The split opinions sharpen a growing post-Bruen test for gun laws, as courts weigh whether modern restrictions match the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation under the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling.