Supreme Court Says Convicted Felons Can Sell Their Guns

[JMolina]

Source: ABC News

A unanimous Supreme Court says the government can't prevent a convicted felon who is barred from possessing firearms from trying to sell his guns after they are confiscated by authorities.

The justices ruled Monday in favor of Tony Henderson, a former U.S. Border Patrol agent arrested and charged with distributing marijuana. He had turned over his collection of 19 firearms to the FBI as a condition of his release.

After pleading guilty, Henderson wanted to sell the weapons to a friend or transfer them to his wife. But lower courts said allowing him to sell them would technically give Henderson possession in violation of the law.

The high court said letting a convicted felon transfer possession is permitted as long as the felon has no control over the weapons.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/supreme-court-convicted-felons-sell-guns-31121570

[yeoman6987]

1. 9-0. Wow!

[ColesCountyDem]

2. From a purely logical point of view...

Since Heller recognized the right to keep and bear arms to be an individual right, forbidding non-violent offenders from possessing firearms serves no logical purpose.

[heaven05]

3. guns, guns, guns

and Supremes, geez

[cosmicone]

4. As much as I hate the gun nuts, this is a right decision.

It can be corrected by making surrender and destruction of the weapons a part of the plea bargain arrangements. Then they have already lost title as a part of the plea bargain than just transferring possession.

[JimDandy]

5. That's the fair thing to do.

Police profiting off of their confiscation of property is outrageous as it is, cause, you know, the property is guilty.

[MosheFeingold]

6. Agree

I am beginning to see cracks in lawfare for profit. While concur re: guns, property is property.

It's one of the few areas where left and right agree, albeit for different reasons.

[Recursion]

7. Right

Am I missing something here?

We would *like* convicted felons to get rid of their guns, yeah?

[melm00se]

13. There are gun control advocates

who want no private ownership of firearms and a felon selling them does nothing to further than agenda.

a 9-0 decision is a pretty clear indication that court agrees that further punishment, in this case financial punishment by seizing assets clearly violates the Constitution.

[NutmegYankee]

18. Some people believe the government can just take property without compensation.

This case messed with their fascist world view.

[geek tragedy]

8. Sensible opinion, provided background checks are part of the deal nt

[project_bluebook]

9. And we must remember

how easy it is to become a felon in a fascist country where putting people in prison is a very lucrative business.

[Hawaii Hiker]

10. So its easier for a convicted felon to sell his guns than cast a ballot

At least in some states anyway...

[Recursion]

11. Every convicted felon who sells a gun is one less convicted felon with a gun

Or am I missing something?

[WestSideStory]

21. You're not

[onehandle]

12. Americans with guns have more rights than normal people. nt

[hack89]

15. Don't normal people have the right to sell property they can no longer use? nt

[NutmegYankee]

17. How so?

Seems a clear property case in accordance with the 5th and 14th amendments.

[TheNutcracker]

14. If you lose your drivers license you can sell your car.....they don't confiscate it from you.

[joshcryer]

19. Best analogy.

[NutmegYankee]

16. Clearly a 5th and 14th Amendment case.

[WestSideStory]

20. Rightly decided