[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Not disagreeing, but issuance of gun permits is an administrative decision, not a criminal sanction. A similar issue is guys who pleaded to indecent exposure for peeing on the sidewalk in 1974 and can't live within a mile of a school and have their pictures posted on the internet.

[DuncanWaring]

Not disagreeing, but issuance of gun permits is an administrative decision, not a criminal sanction.

The Lautenberg amendment bans "shipment, transport, ownership and use of guns or ammunition by individuals convicted of misdemeanor or felony domestic violence".

It has nothing to do with "issuance of gun permits".

It applies even in the civilized portions of the country where no permit is required for weapon ownership, as the unfortunate Dr. Emerson found out.

[Smokin' Joe]

You may need a permit to purchase a firearm in Massachussetts, but many other states have no such requirement. EIther you can or cannot own a firearm by federal law, and if you can, no permit is required, except for Class III or concealed carry, and in some states no CCW permit is required, either.

Telling someone they cannot own a firearm in such states over a misdemeanor is a criminal sanction, and not an administrative decision.