U.S. appeals court to reconsider ban on nonviolent felons owning guns

[The Heretic]

U.S. appeals court to reconsider ban on nonviolent felons owning guns

A federal appeals court on Friday said it would reconsider next month whether a federal law prohibiting nonviolent felons from owning firearms is constitutional in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last year expanding gun rights.

www.reuters.com

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[GWS]

If you've paid your debt to society, why not?

 

[po18guy]

Dang! I did 5 years for armed embezzlement.

 

[sobo]

Dang! I did 5 years for armed embezzlement.

Well, you admit that you were armed, so I think that checks the "Violent" box on your petition... Sorry, bud...

 

[Z-PDX]

I never really understood that.

Seemed like the whole "get out of jail and get your horse, gun, and saddle back" thing made a lot of sense.

I mean, if a criminal who has served time is not to be trusted with a firearm, why are they to be trusted out of jail?

 

[sobo]

Seemed like the whole "get out of jail and get your horse, gun, and saddle back" thing made a lot of sense.

Exactly right; it absolutely does. If one has served one's time and one is not a violent offender (and even if one is, and one demonstrates that one is not going to go back to robbing, raping, and killing people), then I agree that one should have one's voting and firearms rights immediately restored upon completion of sentence.

I mean, if a criminal who has served time is not to be trusted with a firearm, why are they to be trusted out of jail?

And you're absolutely correct in that if one cannot be trusted with a firearm, then there's no reason for one to be released in the first place.

 

[po18guy]

Well, you admit that you were armed, so I think that checks the "Violent" box on your petition... Sorry, bud...

Does it matter that I was dressed in a red flag as I did it?

 

[sobo]

Does it matter that I was dressed in a red flag as I did it?

Did the red flag have four little gold stars and one big one on it?

 

[po18guy]

Did the red flag have four little gold stars and one big one on it?

No. Joe wouldn't lend that one to me. He said it paid far better than embezzlement.

 

[Old Dog]

I'm not worried about felons getting their gun rights back. The felons are gonna be packin' anyway.

I'm a hell of a lot more worried about the felons in this state getting their voting rights back. Y'all know how 98% of them vote, right?

 

[sobo]

No. Joe wouldn't lend that one to me. He said it paid far better than embezzlement.

That is at once both funny and sad/infuriating...

 

[sobo]

I'm a hell of a lot more worried about the felons in this state getting their voting rights back. Y'all know how 98% of them vote, right?

Welp, they already vote D in all our elections anyway (along with illegals and dead people), so not much would change...

 

[Alexx1401]

I have LONG been in the camp of if you are supposed to be free, you should be free. If the screw up is still a screw up they should be kept locked up. How many of the scum they arrest now have a record going back a decade or even 2 decades yet they just let them go out and get another illegal gun over and over again. All the while pretending the guy who got in trouble, learned from the mistake, is now a productive member is the one to go after.

 

[CamoDeafie]

I'd be okay with nonviolent felons getting full rights.. however several criminal court cases have said essentially that "once a criminal, always a criminal" and in doing so, applying that logic... once a felon, always a felon... therefore society cannot "trust " them with their full civil rights but I am also of the opinion that if society cannot trust the convict to be free with full rights; then that convict should not be free in the society.

 

[American123]

I'd be okay with nonviolent felons getting full rights.. however several criminal court cases have said essentially that "once a criminal, always a criminal" and in doing so, applying that logic... once a felon, always a felon... therefore society cannot "trust " them with their full civil rights but I am also of the opinion that if society cannot trust the convict to be free with full rights; then that convict should not be free in the society.

This - either they are done with prison, or they aren't. If they are considered a danger to society they should be in prison or dead, if they are out of prison, full rights restored.

We already see plenty enough times a felon commit crime again using a gun they legally. shouldn't have, so again, these laws only hinder the law abiding.

 

[Unicykle]

Wait wait wait so they're desperate to take away law abiding citizens guns but now they're talking about giving them to criminals?

 

[wired]

I have no problem with ANY citizen who has served his full term either as part in prison and part on parole who has fully completed all of the provisions of his sentence getting his full citizenship rights back. Voting and guns. That means if they get a 15 year sentence and they are released on parole after 8 then they have to wait 7 years . All restitution and fines paid. Rights not privileges.

 

[Hueco]

I never really understood that.

Seemed like the whole "get out of jail and get your horse, gun, and saddle back" thing made a lot of sense.

I mean, if a criminal who has served time is not to be trusted with a firearm, why are they to be trusted out of jail?

Because we have a punitive system masquerading as a restorative system.

Going to jail is "paying your debt" to society but it in no way shows a history of non violence or changed behavior. You have to do that on your own after you get out.

I think we should have a restorative system, but that's a rabbit hole to go down. Until we do, though, felons should not get their rights back upon completion of a sentence - they should get them back after living years of good life showing that they've changed their ways.

 

[wired]

Because we have a punitive system masquerading as a restorative system.

Going to jail is "paying your debt" to society but it in no way shows a history of non violence or changed behavior. You have to do that on your own after you get out.

I think we should have a restorative system, but that's a rabbit hole to go down. Until we do, though, felons should not get their rights back upon completion of a sentence - they should get them back after living years of good life showing that they've changed their ways.

The standard being you have to be pure of heart and do good deeds?

They get a sentence. If it needs to be longer make it longer. If the sentence is complete restore rights.

 

[Z-PDX]

some of my seemingly liberal view centers on how legislators have expanded felonies.

i haven't actually read this book. but i understand it's quite good. and isn't tinfoily or weird.

Amazon.com

most people think of felonies as being associated with horrible or egregious acts. but that is not always the case.

worth considering as an aspect of this discussion.