Non-violent felons may be barred from owning guns, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit held on Nov. 16 in the first major federal appellate court ruling applying the Supreme Court’s new standard for reviewing Second Amendment cases.
The Supreme Court ruling gave rise to many new legal challenges to existing gun restrictions.
The 3rd Circuit ruling itself came in the context of a Pennsylvania man who challenged the ban after he was convicted of welfare fraud 27 years ago. At the time, he was ordered to pay a small fine and was not sentenced to prison time.
In a 6-3 decision on June 23 authored by Justice Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court held in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen that gun restrictions must be deeply rooted in American history if they are to survive constitutional scrutiny….