The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed appeals from three people who attempted to reinstate gun rights after being convicted of nonviolent crimes, a move that disappointed gun rights advocates.
The denials, issued without comment or dissent, left the lower court rulings intact, which found that the lifetime bans did not violate the protections of the Second Amendment.
a case involved one A Pennsylvania man who tried to have his right to a firearm restored after being subject to a life-time ban in 2005 following a felony conviction for drunk driving.
In the other cases, a convicted Pennsylvania woman was involved lying on her tax returns and a man convicted of it copyright violations and the smuggling of counterfeit cassette tapes in 1987.
In order to hear a case or to issue a certiorari, at least four judges must vote to hear the case.
Adam Kraut, a lawyer with the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) who represented two of the petitioners, expressed disappointment at the court’s rejection, but said his group would continue to fight what it sees as illegal gun restrictions.
“While we are disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to allow grossly inappropriate decisions from lower courts, the FPC will continue our aggressive litigation strategy,” Kraut said in a statement.
The denied petitions come amid a series of mass shootings in the US.
Eight people were killed in a series of spa shootings in Atlanta on March 16 and 10 people were killed in a shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado on March 22.
Last week, a man opened fire on a FedEx facility, killing eight people. Police later confirmed that the suspect had used two guns that he legally purchased.