For Immediate Release
U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds Lifetime Restriction on Right to Possess Firearms by Forcible Felons
September 2, 2025 (JOHNSON COUNTY, IA) – Today the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit held that the government has satisfied its burden to show that a lifetime restriction on the right of forcible felons to possess firearms, subject to a gubernatorial pardon, is consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation. Anthony Browne was convicted of a forcible felony in Iowa in 1991 and was thereafter prohibited by Iowa law to possess firearms, apply for restoration of firearms rights, or to receive a permit to acquire a handgun. Browne sued Iowa Governor Reynolds and Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel on the grounds that his Second Amendment rights had been violated.
Chief Judge Stephanie Rose of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa ruled that Iowa Code § 914.7 does not violate the Second Amendment and dismissed his complaint for failure to state a claim, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld this judgment. Assistant Johnson County Attorney Dave Van Compernolle argued the case on behalf of Johnson County.
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