Justice Department opens gun-rights appeals for some felons
What's new: applicants will be screened case by case, while violent offenders, sex offenders and people in the U.S. illegally are presumed ineligible.
The Justice Department on Monday finalized a rule creating a new federal process for some people barred from owning guns because of felony convictions to seek restoration of their firearm rights. The move, pushed by Attorney General Todd Blanche, uses an online application system after Congress for decades blocked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from processing such petitions. The department said officials will weigh each applicant's record, reputation and conduct. It said people convicted of violent crimes, registered sex offenders, people living in the country illegally and others seen as dangerous will usually be denied. Any approval would lift only federal restrictions and would not override state gun laws.