3rd Circuit Upholds Federal Ban on Nonviolent Felons Owning Guns

First federal appeals court precedent since Supreme Court’s landmark Second Amendment ruling in June

Guns on display in Burbank, Calif., on June 23, 2022. Jae C. Hong/AP Photo

Nonviolent felons can be barred from owning guns, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit held on Nov. 16 in the first major federal appellate court ruling to apply the Supreme Court’s new standard for reviewing Second Amendment cases.

The Supreme Court ruling gave rise to many new legal challenges to existing gun restrictions.