Americans Under Felony Indictment Can Buy Guns: Federal Judge
A federal judge in West Texas ruled Monday that it was unconstitutional—in absence of a historical precedent—to ban those under felony indictments from buying guns.
U.S. District Judge David Counts, appointed by former President Donald Trump, dismissed a federal indictment against Jose Gomez Quiroz, who was restricted from purchasing a firearm. The case, United States v. Quiroz, docket no. 4:22-cr-00104 (pdf), arose from Quiroz’s purchase of a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun when he was under a state burglary indictment. Quiroz allegedly lied about being under a federal indictment when he bought the gun.
After the seven-day waiting period was over, he received the gun. But a few days later, the federal system indicated that the purchase was illegal, and Quiroz was later convicted or purchasing a firearm while under a felony indictment. He appealed the conviction, and Counts ruled in his favor….