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Reactions to the NC ruling in Britt felon gun rights case

By Douglas A. Berman

This new local article, headlined "Felon wins the right to own a gun: Narrow ruling causes big stir," reports on reactions to the North Carolina Supreme Court's ruling in Britt v. State, No. 488A07 (NC Aug. 28, 2009) (available here), that at least North Carolina felons have a state constitutional right to bear arms under the North Carolina Constitution (discussed here). Here are excerpts: The opinion applied only to Barney Britt, who was convicted of a drug crime in 1979, and it didn't have an immediate effect on the thousands of other felons in the state. Criminal defense lawyers who practice in federal courts said they don't know what effect, if any, the opinion will have on federal rules, which prevent felons from buying and owning weapons except when a state has restored that right...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on September 01, 2009 (boomark / email).