Americans under felony indictment have a right to buy guns, judge rules

Activists hold a rally calling on Congress to pass legislation to ban assault style weapons, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 22, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

A federal law prohibiting people under felony indictment from buying firearms is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Texas has concluded, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that significantly expanded gun rights.

U.S. District Judge David Counts, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, reached that conclusion on Monday in dismissing a federal indictment against Jose Gomez Quiroz, who had been charged under the decades-old ban.