Why The Supreme Court’s Ruling on Domestic Violence Offenders Is So Important
Last week, the Supreme Court upheld a federal law that sought to ensure that anyone convicted of a crime of domestic violence assault — including a misdemeanor — would be barred from owning guns. The law was enacted in 1996 to close a loophole that allowed people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses to own guns. Two men from Maine were prosecuted under this law for possessing firearms after being convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors. They argued that