By: Amanda Vann, Esq.
301-244-4524
Email: Avann@a-f.net
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court upheld a ruling in the case of United States v. Castleman banning people convicted of minor domestic violence offenses from possessing guns. This applies even in states where no proof of physical violence is required.
Justice Sotomayor wrote the opinion and referred to chilling statistics. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics within the Department of Justice, there are more than one million acts of domestic violence and hundreds of deaths resulting from domestic violence incidents each year in the U.S. Domestic violence arguments often times escalate and there is an increased likelihood that a homicide will occur when a gun is present, according to the Brief for National Network to End Domestic Violence.
New Domestic Violence Gun Laws
To combat some of these statistics, Congress enacted §922(g)(9) which provides that any person “who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence” may not “possess in or affecting commerce any firearm or ammunition”. The passage of this law provides much needed protection for domestic violence victims everywhere.
The ruling from this case reiterates our country’s commitment to protecting domestic violence victims. For more information on recent domestic violence gun laws, please read the entire opinion.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence in Maryland, please seek assistance by contacting family and domestic violence lawyer Amanda Vann at 301-244-4524.