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United States v. Castleman Amicus Brief

Case Information: United States v. Castleman, No. 12-1371 (U.S. Supreme Court Filed Nov. 22, 2013)

At Issue: Whether a person convicted of a domestic violence crime not involving “strong and violent physical force” should be barred from owning firearms by federal law. Federal law bars persons convicted of certain domestic violence crimes from possessing firearms. In this case, the defendant has argued–and the court below ruled–that a person must be convicted of a domestic violence crime that requires an element of “strong and violent physical force” in order to be excluded from firearms ownership by virtue of the conviction.

Law Center’s Brief: We joined the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, States United to Prevent Gun Violence, and the Violence Policy Center in filing an amicus brief arguing that the proper interpretation of federal law includes all domestic violence crimes, not just those involving “strong and violent physical force.” The brief outlines the social science research demonstrating a strong connection between domestic violence of any type and guns.

 Read the full text of our amicus brief here.