The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Bryan Range, a Pennsylvania man convicted of food stamp fraud nearly three decades ago, cannot be barred from firearm ownership under federal law.
In a decision issued on Dec. 23, the en banc court reaffirmed its earlier ruling that 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), a federal statutory provision commonly referred to as the “felon-in-possession ban,” is unconstitutional as applied to Range, who has no history of violence.
The ruling, issued by a 13-2 majority, revisits the case after the U.S. Supreme Court vacated and remanded it for reconsideration in light of U.S. v. Rahimi, a 2024 decision that upheld firearm restrictions for individuals under domestic violence restraining orders. Despite the remand, the Third Circuit maintained its original position, finding that the felon-in-possession statute lacks historical support when it comes to Range, who appealed a district court’s decision to reject his initial claim that the statute violated his Second Amendment rights….