US appeals court rejects lifetime gun ban for nonviolent criminals

By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A U.S. appeals court in Philadelphia says nonviolent offenders should not be subject to lifetime gun bans. Tuesday’s decision follows a far-reaching Supreme Court ruling last year that instructs judges to look to history and tradition to weigh the constitutionality of gun control laws. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is restoring the gun rights of a man who had pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving about $2,500 in food stamps in 1995. Legal experts say the confusion and conflicting opinions that have ensued since last year’s Supreme Court decision in Bruen may lead the high court to revisit the issue.