Convicted Non-Violent Felons Can Own Guns, Ninth Circuit Rules

The decision involving the federal “felon-in-possession” law adds to the ongoing “Circuit Split” over the scope of the Second Amendment.

A customer shops for a pistol in Tinley Park, Ill., on Dec. 17, 2012. Scott Olson/Getty Images

In a decision that could have a major impact on the exercise of Second Amendment rights, a split Ninth Circuit panel has ruled that convicted felons can own guns, at least when it comes to non-violent offenders who have re-entered society.

The case involves the conviction of Steven Duarte, a California man who was arrested in 2020 after he tossed a handgun out of a moving car during a traffic stop.