JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has upheld a lifetime firearm restriction for a man who sued Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and a Johnson County Sheriff over his gun rights.
In 1991, Anthony Browne was convicted of willful injury causing serious injury and criminal gang participation in Iowa. Following his conviction, he was barred from owning firearms, applying for restoration of gun rights, or receiving a permit to buy a gun.
Browne completed his sentence in 1998 and has reportedly followed the law since then, according to the Johnson County Attorney’s Office.
Court records show that Browne filed a lawsuit against Governor Reynolds and Sheriff Kunkel, initially in state court before moving it to federal court, claiming the lifetime ban violated his Second Amendment rights.
He argued that his prior violent convictions should not permanently strip him of his right to bear arms. However, Iowa law prohibits any convicted felon from possessing a firearm.
Browne stated that he wanted a gun for “hunting, target shooting, and home defense.”
The district court ruled that the restriction does not violate the Second Amendment and dismissed the case for failure to state a claim.
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