NRA urges Fifth Circuit to limit federal gun bans to dangerous felons

The National Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation filed an amicus brief in United States v. Cordova, asking the en banc Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to adopt a dangerousness standard in cases challenging the federal lifetime ban on firearms possession by felons.

The brief argues that American history supports disarming only individuals who pose a threat to the government or have a proven propensity for violence, rather than all persons convicted of a felony. It contends that nonviolent criminals historically retained the right to keep and bear arms and that the Founding-era practice of capital punishment does not justify permanent disarmament for every felony offense.

The filing further asserts that using capital punishment eligibility as the metric for permanent disarmament treats the Second Amendment as a second-class right, contrary to Supreme Court guidance, and notes that other Bill of Rights guarantees are not forfeited simply because an offense was historically punishable by death.

Read the full story at nraila.org.