U.S. court rules violence convicts can’t own guns; terrorists still can

PanARMENIAN.Net - Suspected terrorists can still own guns in America — but the Supreme Court ruled Monday, June 27 that domestic violence convicts cannot, the New York Daily News reports.

The court upheld a federal ban on gun ownership for any citizen convicted of domestic assault.

The ruling came one week after the Senate rejected a series of gun control laws, including legislation to prevent suspected terrorists from buying weapons.

In a 6-2 decision, the court rejected arguments from two Maine men, who said their misdemeanor convictions weren't severe enough to keep them from owning firearms. Both men were charged with illegal gun possession due to their prior convictions.

The men argued that their domestic assault convictions, according to state law, were based on "reckless" behavior — rather than intentional violence, the Daily News said.

But the court said domestic violence, reckless or otherwise, is enough to invalidate gun ownership.

"The federal ban on firearms possession applies to any person with a prior misdemeanor conviction for the 'use....of physical force' against a domestic relation," Justice Elena Kagan wrote in the decision.

"That language, naturally read, encompasses acts of force undertaken recklessly...(and) indicates that Congress meant just what it said."