The legal eagles at geoffreygnathanlaw.com would like to remind past and potential clients that “According to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 274: Section 1, a felony in this state is one that is punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison. If the crime can be punished by a year or more in state prison, it also is defined as a felony.” Note: even if you don’t serve any prison time, if you’re convicted of a crime that could have been punished by a year in jail, you’re a felon. And under the new gun control bill signed by MA Gov. Duvall Patrick yesterday, police chiefs can stop long gun purchases. Oh, and a felony conviction means . ..
no guns for you boyo. Ever.
Alter or forge a lottery ticket? Felony. Dump hazardous waste improperly? Felony. Evade estate tax? Felony. Possession of drugs with intent to distribute? Felony. Clone an embryo? Felony. See that guy at the top of the post? If he does a little clamming at night in a contaminated area, he’d be a felon.
In terms of guns, Massachusetts considers it a felony if you sell a gun to a minor or resident alien, improperly store a firearm, possess or sell an “assault weapon” or create/own an “undetectable” firearm.
Click here for a full list of Bay State felonies. How many lives will be saved by making the felony gun ban mandatory and lifelong? Not many. How many MA residents convicted of non-violent crimes will lose their gun rights forever? Plenty. So what’s the point of that then?
I bet Ralph is loving this.
The point of it is the ruling elite like control and you owning a gun does not align with that concept.
I live in a Republican town — yes, there are a few left in MA –where Democrat laws like these make our skin crawl.
Glad I got out of there and into gun friendly… Rhode Island. Baby steps.
Did the same, many years ago, Washington State.
MUCH better, heck I can, and do, open carry.
Of course, I have to visit my old home state of Taxachussetts next month, so no going to my old ranges.
Sadness…
Sorry, but RI is pathetic. I just escaped after 20+ years there and moved to MO-its a gun owners dream here. RF escaped a bit before me and moved to TX
Steve in MA, how did you get a carry permit in RI?
If we don’t watch it we are next. RI-Born and Raised.
Ralph, Got my MA permit because the officer running the Beverly licensing actually likes the Constitution. Working on RI, have the paper work from the local PD, need to get the instructor’s credentials from the NRA instructor I used for my MA license.
Hey now – don’t be stealing my screen name 🙂
Baby steps for sure!
Wouldn’t think of it Steve! Keeping it like this.
You need to go farther South.
Mass is a beautiful state, but it’s not worth it. Get out.
Not a democratic or Republican law…I was a democrat and I am pretty liberal about some issues….but this particular series of laws is clearly BS…..21 years ago and I cannot own a gun, and I am in law enforcement….Thank DPatprick!
“How many MA residents convicted of non-violent crimes will lose their gun rights forever? Plenty. So what’s the point of that then?”
That’s EXACTLY the point.
Pretty soon a traffic stop will carry the “potential” penalty of 1 year in prison. No guns for anybody.
I have a non violent felony crime appx 35 years ago I had a fid card now I can’t have it that’s not fair
This is no surprise. It’s a logical landmark on the slippery slope of gun control. IMHO, the only real long term solution is shall not be infringed.
Treason, period.
How is this news?
Federal law (18 USC 922 (g)) already prohibits firearm possession by anyone who has been convicted of a crime where he could have been imprisoned for more than a year.
According to http://www.attorneys.com/criminal-defense/felony-sentencing-guidelines/ , “In general, felony offenses, whether state or federal, carry a minimum sentence of one year in prison“.
So, the difference between MA law and federal law is a day?
Forging a lottery ticket in MA? Up to 3 years imprisonment. That would ALWAYS get you under 18 USC 922 (g).
That’s what I was wondering as well. Felons are already prohibited, aren’t they?
Typical gun control…
If one law is good, then two is more better…
I thougt the point was to be nailed twice instead of once: once for Federal, another for State. I don’t know the relevance for double jeopardy, though.
Lawyers need to jump a more definitive word, but my understanding of double jeopardy is that it applies to a single jurisdiction…that, the same court cannot go round and round over and over again.
State and Federal are different jurisdictions, so I don’t THINK it would apply there.
Welcome correction from those that know better…
Thank you, DonS, I was looking for someone discussing this. I’m thinking the time frame is the same as NICS checks, 30-odd years that convicted felons have been prohibited from possessing (touching), much less owning, any firearms. IOW, this is a non-story other than the stupidity of going to the trouble to pass a law which is already in place, set up the state to pay the bills for enforcement which should be passed off on the feds. Can we spell dummmm?
“MORE than 1 year” which is why the sentence is 1 year and 1 day.
the point? all part of the government’s War on the American People.
I’ve no love for Massachusetts, but all this does is mirror federal law, no? If you commit a crime that is POTENTIALLY punishable by more than one year in prison, you’re already a prohibited person under federal law. Doesn’t matter if the crime is classed as a felony or a misdemeanor. No exception for non violent crimes, first time offender, being young and stupid, or (to borrow from THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION,) “My lawyer f****d me.”
So, sure, this may be a bit on the harsh side, but no need for a five minute hate on Massachusetts when this is already the law of the nation.
I think the point is MA has some pretty stupid ways to become a felon.
Does MA specifically prohibit “felons” from possessing firearms? Federal law doesn’t (at least, that word is not used in 18 USC 922).
The definition of “felony” is a crime punishable by more than a year in prison. So yes, the federal statue does bar possession “felons.”
The definition of “felony” is a crime punishable by more than a year in prison.
Not in MA. From Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 274, Section 1: “A crime punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison is a felony. All other crimes are misdemeanors.” No mention of maximum term of incarceration.
So, in MA, if you were convicted of a crime whose maximum sentence was one year in the state prison, you’ve been convicted of a MA felony. You have not, however, lost your FEDERAL gun rights.
MA seems to define “felony” in kind of a reverse order – it’s based solely on the fact that a term in the state prison is a possible sentence. No mention of length of sentence. (Though, I haven’t yet seen any MA crimes where you could be sentenced to a maximum of 1 year in the state prison – it’s a long PDF).
The other states with which I’m familiar typically first define the crime as a class of misdemeanor or felony, then list sentences for those classes.
It is all the same thing. A sentence under one year is served in jail, not in prison. If you can go to prison, that means you can be sentenced to more than one year. Federal, state, call it a felony or a birthday party, it’s all the same. The only misdemeanors resulting in loss of firearm rights are specially legislated domestic violence accusations/convictions, which is BS and I expect someday will be whacked by the SC, specifically removing your rights without even having a trial. Otherwise, both Fed and MA say if you are *convicted* of a crime for which you *could* be sentenced to a year in prison, your firearm rights are gone forever. No change, nothing to see here, move along.
The only misdemeanors resulting in loss of firearm rights are specially legislated domestic violence accusations/convictions,
Perhaps in some (most?) states. In some states, though, misdemeanors can and do result in loss of firearm rights. For example, in Colorado, a Class 1 Misdemeanor is punishable by 6-18 months in the county jail, a $500-$5000 fine, or both. Write a bad check for $500 (or two bad checks for $10 in a 60-day period)? Class 1 Misdemeanor (CRS 18-5-205). Gun rights gone forever.
The only misdemeanors resulting in loss of firearm rights are specially legislated domestic violence accusations/convictions,
Actually, looking at MA’s MCL, there are a whole bunch of misdemeanors that will result in the loss of firearm rights under 18 USC 922 (g).
http://www.mass.gov/courts/docs/admin/sentcomm/mastercrimelist.pdf
Look at the column “Max H/C”, finding entries where the term is more than 1 year, where the “Prison” columns are blank. Note that MA defines those as misdemeanors (column “Penalty Type”), since there’s no state prison term possible.
For example, “SHELLFISH IN CONTAMINATED AREA AT NIGHT” (listed in original post) is a felony, because the max punishment is 3 years in state prison. However, “SHELLFISH IN CONTAMINATED AREA” is a misdemeanor (no state prison term) – but, since the max punishment is 2 years in the “House of Corrections” (county jail?), you still lose your federal gun rights.
However, “SHELLFISH IN CONTAMINATED AREA” is a misdemeanor (no state prison term) – but, since the max punishment is 2 years in the “House of Corrections” (county jail?), you still lose your federal gun rights.Oops. That one doesn’t count. 18 USC 921 (a)(20) specifically says that a “‘crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year’ does not include” … “State offense classified by the laws of the State as a misdemeanor and punishable by a term of imprisonment of two years or less”.
So, we’d only look at state misdemeanors where the punishment is more than 2 years, like “SHELLFISH IN CONTAMINATED AREA BY DEALER”. 2.5 years in the House of Corrections.
(And, of course, this means my example of writing bad checks Colorado, a Class 1 Misdemeanor, is also not appropriate, since the max penalty is 18 months in jail).
DonS, I hear you, but you don’t seem to be hearing me. You’re talking about terminology, which varies from state to state. “Kind of crime #1” (whatever you call it), you cannot be sentenced to imprisonment in any locked facility for more than one year, and your firearm rights are unaffected unless it is a domestic violence crime under certain circumstances. “Kind of crime #2” (whatever you call it), you may be sentenced to more than one year in a locked facility not of your choosing, and under MA or federal law, your 2A rights are gone forever. It is all the same thing, arguing about what one jurisdiction calls a misdemeanor and another calls Bar-B-Cue is beside the point. Potential sentence more than one year-2A is gone, whatever the crime is called.
It is all the same thing, arguing about what one jurisdiction calls a misdemeanor and another calls Bar-B-Cue is beside the point. Potential sentence more than one year-2A is gone, whatever the crime is called.
Actually, as I’ve corrected myself elsewhere in these comments, what the crime is called by the state does matter for federal firearms rights. According to 18 USC 921 (a)(20):
* if the state calls it a misdemeanor, you lose your gun rights if the potential sentence is more than 2 years,
* otherwise, you lose your gun rights if the potential sentence is more than 1 year
(Plus, of course, 18 USC 922 (g)’s “any misdemeanor crime of domestic violence”, without mention of possible sentence.)
Which, in MA, leads to some interesting (OK, silly) results. Clamming after dark in a contaminated area costs you your federal gun rights. Hit-and-run, with injuries, is a state misdemeanor and, since the maximum penalty is 2 years, does NOT cost you your federal gun rights.
I think the point is MA has some pretty stupid ways to become a felon
If that was the point of the original article, and if it was intended to have anything to do with gun rights as compared to the rest of the country, then the article didn’t even come close to making the point.
For example, the original post says “Alter or forge a lottery ticket? Felony”, as if that’s some Draconian law peculiar to MA. Heck, in Arizona, that’s a class 3 felony with a maximum sentence of 7 years in state prison. Arizona Revised Statutes 5-566.
(I only looked at the first item listed in the original post, and I only looked at AZ’s laws. The example above is by no means exhaustive.)
Once again, the ‘point’ of these gun control laws is not and never has been about anything other than control. Period. Not safety, not the children, not global warming, not international relations, not crime prevention. Just plain old control. To what end? Ask the Jews of 1930 Germany, the Russians under Stalin, the Chinese under Mao, the Cambodians under Pol Pot…the list goes on.
Spot on.
+1000.
Exactly.
Which is why new laws that are passed carry felony convictions. Eight rounds in you magazine in NY? Felony! Markers in you back pack in Houston? Felony! Which leads us to a point where we all are committing at least one felony. The ramifications toward the government of turning everyone into a felon (when convenient to the state) are unclear at the moment, but I am reminded of a few Thoreau and MLK quotes about disobeying unjust laws.
Whether a state calls it a felony or a misdemeanor has nothing to do with losing your gun rights under federal law – all that matters is the maximum possible imprisonment for that crime. One year or less? Federal gun rights not affected. More than one year? No more guns for you, forever.
The only way this is “news” is if:
a) MA has crimes punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, where the maximum term is one year or less, and
b) MA specifically prohibits felons from possessing firearms.
Does MA have any crimes satisfying (a)?
I’m talking more about why many new laws carry a minimum felony conviction. I’m not really surprised, nor do I feel much has changed with this new law.
Because many people, including “tough on crime” legislators, continue to maintain the unreasonable belief that if the penalty is severe enough, criminals will be deterred from committing that particular “crime.” It is social engineering—and it doesn’t work.
Speeding. Parking in a restricted zone. Jaywalking. Contempt of court. Failure to appear. Shoplifting. Don’t be silly, there are MILLIONS of things which are illegal in MA which do not carry a possible sentence of over a year in prison.
That’s why I specifically said “crimes punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, where the maximum term is one year or less” – because MA defines a felony as a crime punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison. I was looking for crimes where the punishment could be a maximum of 1 year in state prison; by definition, that would be a felony in MA, but wouldn’t result in a loss of federal firearm rights.
And, it doesn’t seem there are any such crimes in MA. According to the MCL, if you can be sentenced to the state prison, the smallest “maximum term” is 2.5 years.
I was attempting to point out that MA’s definition of “felony” always means a maximum possible sentence of more than 1 year – which is already covered by 18 USC 922 (g).
(The quote in the original post “If the crime can be punished by a year or more in state prison, it also is defined as a felony” is somewhat misleading. According to the MCL, if state prison is a potential sentence, the maximum sentence is always 2.5 years or more. There are no crimes where the maximum sentence is 1 year in state prison.)
Yes, MA defines some crimes as “felonies” that some might call victimless, non-violent, and/or insignificant. However, singling out MA doesn’t seem appropriate – as other states do the same thing. For example, the original post specifically called out the non-violent crime of forging a lottery ticket, as if MA calling it a felony (up to 3 years in state prison) was something peculiar to that state. In the oft-touted gun-rights bastions of AZ and TX, that crime is specifically labeled as a felony, and can get you 7 or 10 years, respectively, in state prison.
“Which leads us to a point where we all are committing at least one felony.”
Right. Exactly. Make the laws deep enough and confusing enough and everyone will commit felonies without knowing it. I can’t tell you how many people I knew in CA avoided owning firearms just because they were scared to death of accidently breaking a law, and the laws were so complex and convoluted that it’s a very real possibility. I ended up becoming a freaking legal scholar on CA gun laws just to feel comfortable myself, but not everyone has the patience or aptitude to do that.
In fact, there are those who believe the average citizen already accidently commits three felonies a day, and there’s a book with that title: http://www.threefeloniesaday.com/Youtoo/tabid/86/Default.aspx
Great reading here from the CATO Institute: http://www.cato.org/policy-report/januaryfebruary-2010/criminalization-almost-everything
Including this quote:
…Alan Dershowitz discusses his time litigating cases in the old Soviet Union. He was always taken by the fact that they could prosecute anybody they wanted because some of the statutes were so vague. Dershowitz points out that this was a technique developed by Beria, the infamous sidekick of Stalin, who said, “Show me the man and I’ll find you the crime.” That really is something that has survived the Soviet Union and has arrived in the good old USA. “Show me the man,” says any federal prosecutor, “and I can show you the crime.” This is not an exaggeration.
^^^ and that is the point. At any given moment the gov’t could crush our lives with the mere accusation of a serious crime, as defending against it would bankrupt most of us, destroy our reputations, businesses or careers, or land us in prison and destroy our lives. This level of control is much easier if A) we’re all accidently committing felonies that can be pinned on us and B) doing so automatically strips you of your rights.
The point, of course, is to continue to whittle down the number of real and potential legal gun owners. One little quibble with the article’s language: a year “in jail” is different, legally speaking, than a “year in prison”. “Jails” are county or city facilities for confining misdemeanants; “prisons” are state facilities for confining felons. And of course, just to complicate things, in Texas we have “state jail felonies”. But the distinction usually holds.
One little quibble with the article’s language: a year “in jail” is different, legally speaking, than a “year in prison”.
Not when talking about losing your gun rights (at the federal level).
Federal law makes no distinction between “jail” vs. “prison” or “felony” vs. “misdemeanor”. All that matters is the potential term of imprisonment – as long as you could have been imprisoned for more than one year, your gun rights are gone.
For example, in Colorado, the sentence for a Class 1 misdemeanor is 6-18 months in the county jail and/or a $500-$5000 fine. (Writing a $500 fraudulent check is a Class 1 misdemeanor). If you’re convicted of a Class 1 misdemeanor and the judge only imposes a $500 fine, you’ve still lost your federal gun rights.
No, Robert is correct: misdemeanors land you in jail, felonies land you in prison (usually), but for the purposes of federal law, it doesn’t matter what the crime is labeled, Loss of rights is determined by the length of sentence that could potentially be imposed—and if it is for more than one year, it is a felony for the purpose of the federal deprivation of gun rights.
Correct. And it should be obvious to anyone reading this thread that the ease of confusion over these ridiculous laws cannot possibly be accidental. We are supposed to be so confused that we just give up on firearms ownership. Way back, I elected to simply ignore all that crap, I don’t intend to commit any felonies in the foreseeable future anyway.
My example above of writing a $500 bad check in Colorado is not correct. Since it’s a state misdemeanor AND the max penalty is 2 years or less, it doesn’t count as 18 USC 922 (g)’s “crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year”. 18 USC 921 (a)(20).
Now they only need to make having ever served in the MA House/Senate/Governorship or U.S. Senate/House – Rep or President from MA a felony, and let that dragon eat itself.
And yet, Massachusetts gleefully restores to felons their voting rights upon completion of incarceration. They don’t even demand that you complete parole or probation, just incarceration. So basically the extent of their limitation on felons voting, is that they may not send in absentee ballots from their prison cells and may not be granted furlough to swing by the polling station between stints in ad seg. (Don’t laugh, Vermont and Maine allow ALL felons, even while in prison, to vote.)
One might conclude that Massachusetts just has an inadvertent quirk in their law, or…….that Massachusetts politicians don’t give a flying [fig] about felons doing whatever the hell they want, as long as it reinforces the State’s power and their Vader throttling grip on the citizenry’s freedoms.
I’ve reviewed the list before, and lists like it.
Consider that in many jurisdictions it’s a felony to kill someone if you do so while driving drunk … you’ll lose 2A rights forever, but it’s still legal for you to drink, and you’ll eventually get your driver’s license back.
Such “common sense” examples abound.
well of course, because if you then shoot someone, that is MUCH worse than if you run over someone AGAIN
Thanks! I had actually never thought of that.
If convicted of a felony, and you move out of Massachusetts, will you have gun rights in the new state if it is gun friendly?
Also, this is nothing. Keep an eye on the Massachusetts attorney general’s race. The male candidate in that race (I forget his name) is HELL-BENT on making so-called “smart guns” MANDATORY. He even wants to make them mandatory for the police.
Depends on the maximum possible term of incarceration for the MA crime. If it was one year or less, then you don’t lose your federal gun rights. If it was more than one year (whether felony or misdemeanor in MA), your federal gun rights are gone forever. 18 USC 922 (g)
How can state law take away your federal gun rights?
Federal law. 18 USC 922 (g) says, in relevant part:
It shall be unlawful for any person—
(1) who has been convicted in any court of, a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year;
…to ship or transport in interstate or foreign commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition; or to receive any firearm or ammunition which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
OH! That reminds me! I have heard of police officers who have been convicted of felony domestic violence who did NOT lose their 2A rights, and kept their LEO jobs because of some obscure carve out. Really disgusting, why can’t we all just live by one common sense law? I’d suggest 2A, but whatever, cops and citizens the same on every issue, body armor, select fire, mag size, prohibition, smart guns, SBRs, suppressors, EVERYTHING!? I don’t need a grenade launcher with tear gas projectiles, but if my local (or any local) LEOs can buy them, why can’t I?
I find myself having less and less respect for the law….
MA, god place to be FROM!
Well, after reading through the possible state prison sentences at http://www.mass.gov/courts/docs/admin/sentcomm/mastercrimelist.pdf , it doesn’t appear that MA has any maximum state prison sentences less than 2 years.
MA defines a felony as any crime punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison.
So, if you’re convicted of a felony in MA, it means that your maximum sentence is at least 2 years of incarceration in the state prison (or death).
Under 18 USC 922 (g), you’re prohibited person for life, in every state.
The only remaining question is whether MA punishes some crimes more severely than other states. Using the first example from the original post, is forging a lottery ticket in MA (a felony, according to the original post) any worse than the same crime in other states? A cursory check of a couple states’ laws indicates that it is not: in AZ, it’s a class 3 felony (5-566, 7 years); in TX, it’s a 3rd degree felony (466.306, 10 years).
Since 1998 there is a law on the books for having in any way a gun of any type without a proper license where the sentence is minimum 1 year.
Q. Since that time of all the criminals in violation of this how many do you think served this sentence?
A. NONE!
Liberal tough talking politicos, appointed for life Judge’s who are even more liberal and way less tough talking let these scumbags walk.
A law on what books? No “proper license” is required or even available to purchase/own a firearm long or short in TX, that law ain’t from here. And I cannot see how it could improve any situation imaginable, has anyone asked the people who voted for it what positive results the voters should be on the alert for?
Yeah, I’m confused. There’s no such law that I’m aware of in Ohio. What state or is this law federal? What is the wording of that law because I’m not sure that I understood your description.
And under the new gun control bill signed by MA Gov. Duvall Patrick yesterday, police chiefs can stop long gun purchases.Would someone please expand on this lttle gem?
Gotta keep those clammers ( or “clammas”) from getting their dangerous hands on those dangerous guns
Really……I should be worried about this? So clamin after hours makes me a felony….so. Show up and take my guns. Here you can have them, collect your parasitic public coin under guise of public safety, I’ll have another in a day or two, protecting myself from the real baddies.
Only if you’re clammin’ at night in a contaminated area. Then you’re a felon in MA – because you could be sentenced to the state prison.
Now, if you’re a dealer clammin’ in a contaminated area (no matter what time of day), you’re only a misdemeanant – but since the possible penalty is 2.5 years in the “House of Correction” (county jail), you still lose your federal gun rights.
Looking at the MA Master Crime List, it is a felony to contribute to and/or be a member of a subversive organization. So, how long until the NRA/SAF/GOA are officially considered subversive organizations? It sure seems like the tide is shifting in that direction.
I’m not a felon but if I was I would just buy my guns out of the back of a car trunk in a empty parking lot. It doesn’t matter how many BS laws they create there will always be people like me who believe in a higher law. A law that gives me and everyone the right to defend themselves and others from lethal harm. Take my gun away and I will build 10 more and give 9 away. Don’t piss of an engineer.
In a few posts above, I’ve stated that it doesn’t matter whether it was a felony or a misdemeanor – as long as you could have been sentenced to more than 1 year of incarceration, you lose your federal gun rights under 18 USC 922 (g).
This is not quite correct. Federal law does, in fact, make a small distinction between state felonies and misdemeanors:
* State felony: if the max possible sentence was more than 1 year, you lose your federal gun rights
* State misdemeanor: if the max possible sentence was more than 2 years, you lose your federal gun rights
18 USC 921 (a)(20)
Thus, my example of writing a bad $500 check in CO (a misdemeanor) doesn’t cause you to lose your federal gun rights – because the maximum term of incarceration is 18 months.
Misdemeanors are only important at the federal level if you could go to jail for more than 2 years – e.g. all of the MA offenses (misdemeanors) where the max penalty is 2.5 or 3 years in the House of Correction.
God, but that is stupid. Could anyone, at any time, under any circumstances, have EVER thought of that as an “elegant solution”, and can anyone today point to a single positive thing accomplished?
Well, in the violence-free utopia of MA, I guess it’s kept guns out of the hands of those dangerous after-dark-contaminated-area clammers, while not affecting those harmless people who abandon an infant on a park bench (Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 119, section 39… it’s a 2-year-max misdemeanor).
(/sarc, as if it’s necessary)
I still maintain that the title of this post is, at best, “non-news”.
New MA Gun Law: Any Felony Conviction = Lifetime Gun Ban
There’s nothing “new” about losing your gun rights, no matter what state you call home, if the judge can sentence you to 2.5 years in state prison.
A felony conviction in MA means you could have been sentenced to state prison (or death). Every state prison sentence in MA has a maximum term of at least 2.5 years. That is, there is no felony in MA where the maximum sentence is less than 2.5 years in state prison.
Federal law already nukes your firearm rights if you can be imprisoned for more than a) 2 years for a state misdemeanor or b) 1 year for a state felony. Since MA’s 2.5 years is greater than both of these, it doesn’t matter if MA calls it a misdemeanor or a felony; 2.5 years means no more guns for you.
Whether or not this is a “New MA Gun Law”, as the title states, is irrelevant; it’s a relatively old federal law.
Sure, MA has some crimes where the maximum possible sentences result in a ridiculous loss of firearms rights. But so do other states. Not surprising, and certainly not news.
I have a strange question and i believe I know the answer already but here goes..I have a felony OUI in NY, that was 21 years ago, is there any way that I could get a gun license in mass..do they check other states? the reason I ask is what I read below, that is if I’m reading correctly ” There is no comprehensive national system of gun registration.” or I heard that that I might be able to get my conviction expunged,, is that true..
There is no comprehensive national system of gun registration. In fact, federal law prohibits the use of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to create any system of registration of firearms or firearm owners.5e?
Whats bullshit is I have a B&E in the nightime felony into a abandoned building at age 15 in Mass. I was allowed to have long guns for 28years in Mass but not a pistol. I have never had another arrest in my life and now Mass passed another law in 2015 so now I cant have any guns now. I understand what federal law says about felons but I am now 46 and my felony was 31 years ago. Why is there nothing to earn your gun rights back? I was a stupid 15yo kid. I did my community service and probation. Why should I be penalized for the rest of my life. My offense wasnt violent against another person did not involve a gun. Its bullshit to say that what I did at 15 makes me dangerous to have a gun now. I went onto college and got my BA and I work with disabled adults now I have a full time job own my own home. Its just bullshit.
Does it apply if the conviction was out of the State of Ma???
It applies to everyone except for law enforcement of course
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