U.S. appeals court narrows federal felon gun ban, allowing restrictions for violent offenders

A U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday that a federal law barring people with felony convictions from possessing firearms can constitutionally be applied to offenders whose crimes involved violence or threats creating a risk of gun misuse.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ban as applied to James Bost, who had been convicted of violent crimes including carjacking.

In a separate case, the court ruled in favor of Edward Williams, whose prior conviction involved repeated drunk driving rather than violence, finding that his record was not enough to justify permanently stripping him of Second Amendment rights.

The rulings further narrow how the federal felon-in-possession law can be applied within the 3rd Circuit, distinguishing between violent and nonviolent convictions.

The court’s decisions follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen ruling, which requires modern gun restrictions to be consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.