Gun Ban Law for Domestic Violence Offenders Upheld

SF Gate A federal law prohibiting anyone convicted of domestic violence from possessing a gun is a legitimate and constitutional measure to keep firearms out of the hands of people who might harm others in the household, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. The law, as originally adopted, barred gun possession by those convicted of violent felonies, but was extended by Congress in 1996 to cover misdemeanor convictions of domestic violence, the most common charge for physical assaults in the home. The ban is permanent unless the offender later gets a state court to erase the conviction from the records. Those convicted of misdemeanors in California can get their convictions erased after they have completed their sentences and persuaded the courts that they have "lived an honest and upright life" for a sufficient period of time.