Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Would you support felons convicted of non-violoent, non-weapon related felonies to be able to own a firearm?

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Possibly. They did thier time.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Yes, I would. And at least in New York state, it is possible. Onegoes to his/herlawyer, and has him prepare a Request for a Certificate of Relief From Disabilities. This request is then submitted to the Judge of the Superior Court where the conviction took place. IF the Judge agrees, he can issue the Certificate permitting the person to once again own/possess firearms (rifles/shotguns). I have seen this done a number of times in the county in Upstate NY where I once served as a probation officer. It was done for nonviolent felons who wanted to start hunting again.

We asked the Feds if this was legal. They could not or would not take a position on the question. But to the best of my knowledge, no former felon who went through this process ever had any problems about owning a rifle or shotgunafter the Certificate was issued.....

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

It would probably have to be on a case-by-case basis.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Their name will still pop up when the shop does a background check. Once they get the certificate, they can own a firearm, but then buying one becomes a problem.

Kind of leaves them stuck with buying from individuals, but then that shouldn't be a problem for a convicted felon.:)

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Ditto! I havea co-worker that did his time for drug dealing when he was 18. I wouldn't mind seeing him get his huntingrights back. Everyday we are talking about hunting, he gets kind of down. He's talking to a lawyer to try and get his rights reinstated.

I think everyone should have the right to protect their family, but if you did something to stupid then those rights have to be taken away.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

I beleive if you commit any crime were others are victems you should never be able to own a firearm period!!!. It is to easy to keep yourself out of trouble, that is one of the main things wrong with society today, no-one wants to be responsible for their own actions, too many parents want to ignore this fact!. I think back when I was a child "the 60s" in Pittsbergh Pa., we could leave our windows and doors open a night, never had to worry about locking up the car, when going to the store being able to go to the toys by myself!. Those days are long gone because of the BLEEDING HEART LIBERALS makeing it easy for the bad guys!, cable tv, workout area's, early out's, we need to get back to some of the old ways, I remember work crews from the prisons accualy haveing to cut grass with cycles, today they use lawn mowers, weed eaters, and Ive seen some on lawn tractors, I say put them back in stripes, connect them with chains, and make them work the way they use too, learn some HUMILITY!!!!!. Well I know thats never going to happen again, so Ill take comfort in knowing that it damn near takes an act of congress to get the right to own firearms back. Now you might think Im an A##hole for thinking this, but after 45 years, I still have the right to keep and bear arms, just like a drivers license, its a privilege, not a God given right!!!. Thats my view!!!.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Thousands of felons out there already own firearms.

You mean LEGALLY?

I lean towards no. Too much of our legal system already bends over backwards to accomodate the criminal eliment. We would be much better off to stand by the legal deterents like doing time, restrictions like no legal guns or votingfor convicted felons, etc.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Though there are a number of reasonable arguments supporting the right of a felon to own a firearm, I'm afraid I have to side here with devil dog. I don't buy that there are "victimless" crimes, though. Even white-collar crime has "victims", whether they be shareholders or taxpayers.

Once a person determines that it's in their best interest to violate the laws of the land and the rights of others, their judgement becomes suspect - permanently (IMO).Even after incarceration, I'm not sure I'd go along with their having the same rights again as those people whose rights they violated. Felons are, again IMO, "second-class citizens" of theirOWNdoing, and undeserving of the very rights they thumbed their noses at.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Maybe.
Felons in NE can't hunt with a muzzleloader; I think that should be changed if they're non-violent.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Depends on which felony was commited.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

I am kinda on the fence about this one .:eek:While I agree with Devil Dog.I think that some case by case situations might deserve review.Seems like it was said waaaay back. That person paid their debt to society"PAID".Why hold it against them for the rest of their life .Most people deserve another chance,Not all mind you but some JMHO.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

I've thought about that too, and it always comes back to "who's left to decide"? Some parole-type board? Unfortunately, even felons who "paid their debt to society" don't exactly have stellar rates of recidivism. And what kind of consistency can we see from state-to-state? We see that already in sentence lengths where you can plan on a couple years in one state, and they'll throw away the key in another. And what penalty will be involved if the felon newly clothed in all his/her new "rights" goes out and commits another crime? One state willslap them on the hand, whileanother would probably behead them publicly.

Maybe I just don't trust the judges, juries, and parole boards enough anymore to give them the power to put the right people in jail for a long time, let alone toput anARMED felon back on the street. If they didn't want to forfeit their second amendment right, they shouldn't have violated someone else's rights. Do these people ever think of all they'll give up before they commit a crime? Maybe they should?

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

That is a touchy one and I'm not sure how to go on it. Both sides make very good points. Something to consider is it is pretty easy to get a felony now a days. You don't have to hurt someone to get a felony, just commit a few misdemeanors in a row and you get one. Heck I know a guy that got put on the sex offenders list because he peed behind a dumpster in a parking lot in the middle of the night. That seems a bit severe doesn't it? Mean while we have convicted drug dealer walking the streets. Makes perfect sense to me.

Here is a good case in point for what we arguing. My cousin years ago shot a guy in his front yard because he was brandishing a weapon and making threats. This guy was drunk, and a bit crazy I would assume and it was out in the country, not in the city or suburbs. And this was like 25 years ago mind you, when you could leave your doors unlocked supposedly, not two or three years ago. Any way this guy is yelling and screaming making threats and then fires a shot into the air. My cousin had already called the cops, but they hadn't shown up yet. Things escalated to the point where my cousin made a decision. He opened up a window and shot the guy with a 12 ga. Dropped in the yard and he died later. When the cops showed up they arrested my cousin and charged him with manslaughter, and he went to prison.

He got charged with a felony for protecting his family from crazy guy in the front yard, and went to prison for it. Guess who can't hunt or own a gun anymore. And the worst part is he was living with my uncle at the time and they took all my uncles guns as well.

I bet you dimes to dollars if the other guy would have lived he would still be able to own a firearm. Doesn't quite sound right does it. But it happens all the time.

I can think of many more instances not quite as tragic as that one.

I bet there are plenty of people on here that can own guns simply because they didn't get caught doing something stupid when they were younger. ;)

I have done a few things when I was younger I am not proud of, however that doesn't make me a dangerous person that shouldn't own a firearm. At least I don't think so anyway.

Paul

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

If they want to hunt , let them take up Bow hunting. I have a friend that was convicted of a felony, afterabout 10 DUI's and was sent to prison for six months and he is in the process of gettinga judge to get his right to own back and he has been bow hunting for a couple of years now . With good results (meat in the freezer )

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

well I hope if it is to be it is right in no small part to the perp who has shown their self bot a threat. Then yes.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

I dont know!, maybe I had it easy growing up a cops son, maybe I had it hard!, I learned the laws at a young age. Not to say I never did anything wrong" sometimes I had to go a little farther to proove myself to my friends", but I knew were to draw the line!. Now in the case of the young man and the shotgun, well Im sorry, but he and his family were not in innament danger to take ones life, if the drunk would have made it into the house! it would have been pure self-defence and he would still have his rights. Bottom line IMO, I dont think a convicted fellon should have the same rights that I have earned by not breaking the law!.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

A "felon" is anyone who is convicted or pleads guilty/no contest to any offense for which he/she can receive a sentence of more than a year incarceration. It does not matter whether the offense was a violent one, or even if there are actual victims. Take Martha Stewart, for example. Her offense was a "victimless crime" if ever there was one. Should Martha be permanently barred from being able to hunt or defend herself? (Not that she'd want to hunt or use a firearm for protection, since she can no doubt hire people to do her shooting for her!) But you get the point! This is a very complicated/complex issue! Not one that can be answered simply. I believe the case-by-case response is the most appropriate one. And it is exactly what is in place at the present time. The Courtsdecide, on a case-by-case basis exactly who will get this right back.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

I don't think they deserve the right to own firearms, just my personal opinion.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Taking away all of a persons right/priviledges because you guys want him to pay even more or want his life totally ruined is rather silly don't ya think. Where's the limit? If someone commits a felony that has nothing to do with violence, or a gun offense, and you take away his right to ever have a gun, where's the limit? Take a way his right to hunt or obtain a license? Take away his right to drive? Take away his right to have a job? Take away his right to own a business and obtain a business licence?. Take away his social security? Where does the beating end.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Paul, How about this one .I was 14 years old ,wasn't a roughneck .But did not take much junk.A boy from another grade he was 16 or 17 had been picking on me all day at school.Making comments about how he was going to beat my A$$ when we got on the bus.When I got on the bus he was sitting down in one of the seats needless to say I was about half way ( well all of the way) scared of the guy he was bigger ,older.when I went by he started to get up saying what he was going to do.Soooo I popped him in the mouth about halfway out of the seat. I wasn't about to let him get up and get a hold of me.Broke his jaw ,knocked out 2 teeth ,broke his nose.Strange thing is I remember the girl next to him had a white dress on and it instantly turned red.Anyway I had to go to juvi court they actually had me charged with felonious assault.Now get the reason .If you hit somebody and they DON'T bleed it is simple assualt if they bleed it is a felony.It was reduced to keep a felony off of my record .It could have been bad, a felony for a kids fight on the way home from school. Hell we fought just about every day and when we got through we went and played in the woods after.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

When I was a kid, I lived mostly on Army posts. Us Army brats weregenerally bussed to the local community schools. I remember that there was always an MP on the bus as well as the driver, just to keep crap like that from happening!

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Well, I have to say that the results so far are very surprising. I'm normally just a lurker, but since I have some serious experience here dealing with felons, I thought I'd put in my .02 cents.

I have been a police officer for 15 years in a mostly suburban / rural area in WV, in the northern panhandle between Ohio and Pennsylvania. Deer hunting closes schools here. I'd say 60% of the adult male population are deer hunting the first week at some point. I'm surprised when we go to a house and there are no guns present. For the past 8 years, I have been a Detective assigned to work felony level cases. I'm not going to say we have a huge crime rate or that "I know everything there is to know about the shrimpin bizniz", but I usually make about 30 to 50 felony arrests each year. I work my cases thoroughly and have about a 100 % conviction rate. Unlike the felony factories in a large city, I actually get to know my felons through the investigations. The point is that I have some knowledge of felony offenders.Of course, I probably dont know your friend, bother in-law, co-worker, etc.

There are exceptions to every rule. I am speaking of the many felons I know, while I have seen a lot of the previous responses speak of the one person they know.

This is where I'm probably gonna make a lot of people mad. So grit your teeth.

People DO NOT change.As Dennis Green said of the Bears, so I say of the felons;"They are who we thought they were!!!" I think they are people that victimize others, waste our money and resources, and generally make life miserable for those in their life........to put it politely. You can insert virtually any negative here you want.....I agree to most of them.

What many people do realize is that it isnt "easy to get a felony" as has been previously been implied. I dont have one, my friends dont have one, 95% of the poeple I know dont have one, including my family schoolmates, co workers at all of my jobs, even most of you guys probably dont "have one" [8D].

Let's just say it the way it is, period. It's not like these "winnners"forgot to get their car registration renewed and got a ticket; it's more like they stole the dang car. They didnt punch their loud mouth neighbor at a little league game; more like they punched him, put the boots to him on the groundand put him in the hospital. They didnt get caught "peeing behind a dumpster"; more like they whipped it out and pee'd on the liitle boy they just gave the "candy" to. They didnt get caught smoking a joint, they got caught selling it. The point of these statements is to illustrate that average citizens making minor "mistakes" are not being convicted of felony offenses,despite what your neighbor or buddy says about his "record". I know, I know, there are some exceptions, but the point is that we are WAY beyond a DWI/DUI, shoplifting, andsimple drug use/posession cases. The vast majority of crimes reported and arrests are for these misdemeanorcrimes where the sentence is shorterthan 1 year of incarceration. (States Differ on this a little) Felonies are more rare and carry over 1 year of incarceration. (States differ on this a little also).

Don't take it from me or him - go look it up. Court records are public documents. You'll be shocked at what the people actually do versus what they plead guilty and get sentenced for. The wool has been pulled over all our eyes for a long time. I would have never beleived the plea deals in court myself until I personally saw them. I'll bet that "peeing behind a dumpster" charge has a lot more to it that what you're being told, lol. The point here is that people routinely lie to those around them about their crimes, the nature of those crimes, and their sentences. These people are, after all.......criminals!! If you want the truth, dont ask the criminals, look at the records. They are even available online in more and more cases. GO LOOK FOR YOURSELF!!!

Famous line................ "I only had two beers."= "I was only peeing behind a dumpster"= "Now I cant own no more guns" .........Sorry I just dont believe it anymore.

In the 2000's, the Courts are not getting more strict, they are getting more lenient. There is a growing trend to treat people for their "illness"whether drug abuse, alcohol abuse, addictive gambling, mental disorders, etc. There are now MANY social courts set up to receive these offenders and treat them . It is RARE that an offender gets straight into court and goes straight into prison or jail. Only the most serious cases are even recieving any jail or prison time at all now due to the ever increasing cost of jails and prison. Many felony offenders charged with "victimless crimes" are now being given the opportunity to avoid jail and even convictions for a felony if they follow and complete these programs.

The problem, it seems, is that felonsfill up jails and prisons because they keeping coming back for repeat "treatments" (AKA recidivist) and sentences. There are, in fact, very few convicted felon offenders who remain on the straight and narrow the rest of their lives. The repeat offender (recidivism) rates are over 70% within 5 years and higher over a longer period of time. That means that a fleon has a 70% chance of being arrested agin with 5 years. A small percentage of the population is responsible for a large percentage of crime. The point here is thatfelons continue to commit crimes and only the worst criminals now are serving any jail time or even being convicted of felonies to start with.

Based on the fact that any givenfelonis 70% likely to arrested again for another crime with 5 years, I hardly think it is a good idea to let them own a gun legally.

As thestock market commercial says "No one can predict the future, however the best prediction of future performance is past performance."

I do recognize that there are special exceptions on an individual basis, however:

In my state, felons can and do hunt with compount bows, which was classified as a dangerous weapon until recently. They buy hunting licenses, they can have business licenses. They can hold some public offices. They can have a driver's license. They have a rightwork - although I have a right not to hire a criminal. Lord knows they can always get social security or some type of disability to avoid work (although the state and feds dont pay them after 30 dyas or more in jail).

There is a procedure in place inmy state that is very similar in nature to which was mentioned earlier. A felon can petition the felony level courts to receivea restoration of rights in regards to voting, holding office, and owning a firearm. Once successful, they may purchase guns and ammo again.ALTHOUGH - technically- they are still in violation of federal laws. ATF has a policy ruling that preventstheir agents from pursuing these cases.
So even though they are violating a federal law, after having been restored, they are virctually immune from prosecution. ATF considers the matter closed if a person has been restored. I have heard of some judges throughout the country refusing to restore rights based on this violation argument, even considering the ATF stand on the matter. I have never seen this rights restoration procedure used successfully in our court because the felons always seem to have a track record of continuing misdemeanor arrests. Some Judges, it seems, are somewhat skeptical of criminals?? or do they hate gun ownership in general?? now thats another kettle of fish, lol!!!

As for those who get restored, The FBI runs the instant checks and verifies the problems on these check with local law enforcement background checks. If the file says that the felony has been restored, then we report it as such and the check returns ok and the purchase is allowed.Before hunting season, we get flooded with these faxes from the FBI.We respond within 24 hours with our information, then if they need more info, the center actually calls us. They appear to be sincerely trying to get it right. I have also seen them pass a person convicted of domestic violence because the state and the feds differ on the definition of family members. The state is more broad and the feds only recognize the standard definitions. Thus, a person with a domestic violence conviction against certain types of family members, under some circumstances, could still purchase and have guns legally under a federal law, but not a state law. OOOPS!!! That being said, the systemdoes seem to work pretty well on our end.

Since this is a gun ownership site, I will state this: OF COURSE I KNOW THAT NO SYSTEM IS PERFECT AND THERE HAVE BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE ERRORS IN THE PROCESS.
IF YOU HAVE A BETTER WAY, NOTIFY CONGRESS!!!

My own personal opinion is that this rights restoration system is fine because it does make each person go before a reasonable judge of facts, whom in most cases is elected. This is important because the person can be voted out if they get ridiculous with their decisions one way or another. An appointed panel has no such personal accountability. This is a point we can all agree on, I hope, given the record of liberal judges legislating from the bench. The obvious flaw in the system is that the felons are not usually voters, so cannot vote out a judge that refuses to restore rights. I also seriously doubt anyone could use those refusalsas a campaign slogan to unseat a judge.

I would be in favor of a law that would restor them upon application if they have no criminal record of any type for 20 years. This would include misdemeanor arrests. My question is always going to be - have they really changed or just not gotten caught. I am not giving them the benefit of the doubt here, and I dont have to, because they have already been convicted of a felony. Their benefit of the doubt went out the window with the conviction.The taxpayers pay me to keep them safe, not make the felons feel better.

The laws for illegal gun posession by felons should be doubled in sentence and have mandatory sentences, period. Once again, these are our repeat criminals using guns. We should lay the hammer to them.

Just think of have great things would be when your convicted felon neighbor tells you what a great deal he got on his new Lorcin .380. Do you feel comfortable with that?? I don't??

Finally: I know that someone is going to tell me about the hardworking, quiet, honest, decent, churchgoing, family man, who once got set up by an undercover officer to buy a joint during a Journey Concert in 1982. He's never been in any trouble since that time and he cant take his son hunting and thats just wrong. If all that is true, I'd feel the same way you do. If all that is true, he should be able to make a compelling case for restoration. Tell him to get to theCourt, file the paperwork without a lawyer if he cant afford one,and make his case.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Good post bigcountry. I think it should be case by case. There are a lot of people that get in to trouble for really doing bad but not terrible stuff. My son was arested for a felony. HE STOLE A MORTORCYCLE HELMET AND A MORTOCYCLE JACKET WHEN HE WAS SIXTEEN! Was it wrong, yes! Does he deserve never to get to own a firearm again? No way! During his probation he didn't show up for court and they reopened his felony charges. The DA wanted to throw the book at him and send him away for a solid year. The judge listened to my son and decided that it was a bunch of bull chit and wiped his record clean and sealed it in his juvinile record. He has been in absolutley no trouble since andI don't see any in his future. Also, since then, he's carried a firearm alright, he carried for the United States Army. But a different day and a different judge and he would have been convicted and spent a year in jail!

I think before any felon gets the right to own a gun his case should be looked at very carefully. I also think they should have to foot the bill for any hearings to help in the decision. I also think there would only be a few who would probably qualify.

Encorepete- Good post, butI have to disagree. I know, I did a lot of stuff wrong whenI was young, but I grew up. I think growing up would be considered changing. People do change. I know alot of people will always be bad.I also know most of the ex-cons are worse than they were before they went in. They weren't rehabilitated, they were just educated on crime and hardened.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Well, growing up in Southern WV, I thought usually the people involved with most felonies was the judges and police. I mean, thats my experience in Mingo/Logan Co. WV. If I remember right, when I lived there,the judges/police ran the best dog fighting/ cock fighting and drug ring going.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Yes, juvenile cases are puzzling altogether. In 1994 while on business, the boyfriend of the girl across the street decided they'd go boating Labor Day weekend - without asking permission to take my boat. To make a long story short, he was given the "first offender" program (odd, if the first offense involves stealing a $22,000 boat, what's the second offense going to be?). To make a long story short, he got a slap on the wrist, ordered to pay restitution - so he was ordered to pay my insurance deductible (not thefull cost of the repair)+ tow and impound fees) - and (OMG!) probation to age 25 (he was 17 at the time). His parents accused me of "ruining his life" with recommending the maximumlength of probation to the Asst DA, but then asked the judge to allow him to pay the $500 or so restitution back at $10/month so that he wouldn't have to sellhis truck that he used to hitch up to my (locked up, by the way) boat and that he relied on so that his parents "wouldn't have to take him to school" (what's wrong with the school bus?). He ended up having to sell the truck in the end(awwwww), but didn't matter much - since he violated his probation (imagine this, BURGLARY) less than eight months later and finished high school just in time to spend his summer in court and I lost track of him after that.

Sure, some of you probably think "it was just a harmless joyride, after all - kids will be kids," right?I apologize ifI seem to have very little sympathy for juvenile offenders, because I just don't.

Yeah, I happen to know a couple guys who did nothing more than beat their wives. Now neither of them can own a firearm anymore thanks to the Lautenberg Actso their hunting days are over. All for beating up their wife? Gee, what's this world coming to? (all sarcasm intended).

I completely agree with encorepete here.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

No, wouldn't even consider it. They break state and federal laws without a second thought, now we want to give them a gun? Not a chance.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

ditto

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

They take your right to own and bear arms - due to the fact that you broke the rules.

The laws are put there to make a person think before they commit a crime.

The Dukes Of Hazzard carried Bow and Arrows - because of their licquer law violation and you never heard them complain or say that they want to protect their families.

What are they going to protect them from - their dope smoking buddies?

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

I have read of efforts to expand the definitions of crimes which will get a person's gun rights revoked. A couple of simple speeding or parking tickets and no more duck hunting. Perhaps you were on Riddalin(sp) as a youth if they can correlate it, no more pheasant hunting. Your wife, who you caught in bed with her Volvo mechanic, wants to put you in a bad light and her accusation of abuse is treated as fact when she lies to get herself sympathy and a better divorce settlement.

I agree with almost everyone here. You cannot believe a criminals discription of his own crime. Most criminals will always remain untrustworthy. Violent criminals should not be trusted to own a gun. Yet, non violent criminals sometimes do repent and stupid youths can become responsible adults. Lets just keep it the way it is, a felon must live an exemplery life and not have been violent, then, a good review and maybe the restoral of gun rights. We need to keep watch on the anti gun croud though or the list of things that may get your gun rights revoked will get longer and longer until it gets to the point where no one will be able to possess firearms.

I think states could grant, through law, partial gun rights. A felon could perhaps get permission to use a gun for target practice or hunting, in the field only, yet not be able to take it home. The guns go with a responsible party who is the owner and possessor of the firearm.

Bob

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

No way should a "felon" own a firearm. Plus I do not agree with reduced sentences for "good behavior" if they would have practiced good behavior in the first place they would not have gotten in trouble. And they are always "sorry" after they get caught. Do the crime , do the time, period.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

So where does it end? Should we take away thier right to get drivers license? Take away thier right to vote? Not let them fish in public waters? Or just a gun only thing, even though the crime had nothing to do with a gun or violence?

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

There are lawsand legisation on the books that adress people with a record wanting thier right to bear arms back. It should all be on a case by case basis and even then only after time has been served and time after release has showed themselves an upstanding citizen.
There are non violent felonies that the felons should never see thier right restored. Look at Wall Street junk bond and insider traders during the 80's and 90's that costs 1000's of people thier jobs. White collar crime that was hardly victimless. People with more than 1 DWI's or DWU's. There are really no "victimless" felonies.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

I would support it, in a case-by-case situation, with the stipulation that some board of review must ponder and decide.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

It can happen here in Indiana I think on a case by case basis
it think if it is not violent they did there time and for at least 5 years shows they have changed I.E having a job even if it is a MC Donald’s job not getting even so much as a traffic ticket
Then they should be able to own a rifle or shotgun
a handgun i think there should be alot of looking into the case before someone is handed a handgun

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

There are felons, and there are felons. They are often quite different, and the one type most law-enforcement personnel come to grips with on a daily basis are generally NOT the ones that should be considered eligible to have their gun ownership rights restored. Many of those who perhaps should are ones whose crimes are of the white-collar kind (I don't mean drug dealers or heavy users!). Daily contact with scumbag repeat offenders usually warps a person's perception of human nature, often to the point where everyone becomes a suspect. I've seen this happen!

Basically, I see no reason why a Superior Court judge cannot exercise sufficient intelligent discretion to be empowered to decide, on a case-by-case basis, if a convicted person should or should not be permitted to get this right back. There should be NOTHING automatic about it. But let's face it. If a freed convicted felon plans to use a firearm for future criminal activity, it just is not reasonable to believe that the person is going to ask a court for permission to own a gun-they will just steal one, and do it anyway! In case people forget, MOST career criminals steal their firearms,or buy them on the black market!

"What many people do realize is that it isnt "easy to get a felony" as has been previously been implied. I dont have one, my friends dont have one, 95% of the poeple I know dont have one, including my family schoolmates, co workers at all of my jobs, even most of you guys probably dont "have one" [8D]. "

This may be correct. But there are lawmakers in MANY jurisdictions who are working diligently to make offenders out of LAW ABIDING people who own guns!

BTW, the right to vote is one of the ones the convicted person loses, as well as the right to seek and hold public office, and to be licensed in certain profesion, such as an M.D. or a nurse, etc..

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

The only problem is, who sits on the Board of Review? Me? You? Encorepete? State Police? Local Cop? Could you sit on the board if you are a felon?

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

No doubt it is different in different states. But the provisions I knew about left the matter up to the Judge of the Court in which the person was convicted. This judge SHOULD know the circumstances of the offense and the personal information about the defendant.....

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

i ant got one got a misdemeanor assault charge from when i was 16 for self defense [:@]but it went away when i turned 18 so nothing on my record
i also do think any drug charge and the real felons should never get there rights back but they carry guns anyway


i knew a guy in KY who had a felon charge 10 years ago

well he was looking at a guys gun and got his prints on it
364 days later he get a knock. One day before the statute was up he got arrested . due to shortly after looking at the gun the owner got arrested with it and they found his prints.

When i moved back up here the guy was looking at 10 years and i mean you serve the 10 years in prison for it


No it is not easy to get a felony charge

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

To put it in perspective; a person convicted of a felony is being punished, loss of certain rights including owning firearms, as of now, the ones that commit on the lesser side,they can get their conviction expunged in most states if they do their time, pay retrobution and keep their buts out of trouble!. But look at what it takes to accualy be convicted of a felony, I did some research befor I came back to make any more posts, arson, rape, murder, fraud, and so on were the felony charges, on toall crimes, theyare broken down and are determined if they are classified as a infraction, misdomener or a felony. Felony is the most horrid of crimes in the face of the community, to be convicted as a felon a real crime needs to be commited such as murderALSO REPEAT OFFENDERSof missdomeners are subject to be convicted as felons " they just cant stay out of trouble" I would bet that most of the Billy-Bob stories of he got into a fight and was convicted of a felony now he cant go hunt rabbits to feed his family is in fact that he probably got arrested for it more than once.. I would bet most people, other than the felons would agrea, that privlages should be lost when you cant abide the law that everyone else does. Think of when you were a child, you did something wrong, your parents would punish you, wether getting your but tore up, couldnt watch tv or whatever, they were trying to make you learn respect of the law andothers. Unfortunatly some didnt get it so sosiety and the judicial system needs to take away their toys!. If you would like to look up any of the definitions you can go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felony I would paste it here for all to see, but I dont know how to do that.