Minnesota offenders who win back gun rights stay out of trouble

star tribune ^ | 3-10-13 | BRANDON STAHL 

[TurboZamboni]

In the past eight years, at least 114 Minnesotans have persuaded a judge that they could once again be trusted with a gun, despite past convictions of sex offenses, assaults, drug dealing and other crimes.

In most cases, they have since stayed out of trouble. Only one whose rights were restored has been convicted of a gun-related crime in the state, a Star Tribune analysis of court records has found.

State Sen. Barb Goodwin, DFL-Columbia Heights, has introduced a bill to make it more difficult for felons to win back their firearms rights. Despite the low rate of offenses by those with restored gun rights, Goodwin said she’ll continue to push the bill because she believes it could help prevent deaths in the state.

She cited the shooting of three cops in 2001 by a convicted murderer whose gun rights had been restored.

“We need more protections just in case,” she said. “I’m glad that you couldn’t find any, but I’m hoping that lasts.”

Joseph Olson, a Hamline University law professor and president of the Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance, said the lack of gun crimes shows the system works.

“We shouldn’t mess with it,” he said.

[TurboZamboni]

I bet Barb Goodwin will never author a law for harsher penalties for felons who vote and I bet I can prove there's been more than 1 just the past election who did.

[marktwain]

Better that a dozen criminals get illegal guns than one person be denied their Constitutional rights.