Why am I now prohibited from possessing firearms when I didn lose that right upon being convicted 20 years ago?
By 1996, Washington firearm laws prohibited persons convicted of any felony from possessing firearms. Federal and Washington courts have held that “felon in possession” statutes do not violate the “ex post facto” clauses of the federal and state constitutions because the law only proscribes future conduct, i.e. possession of a firearm, and does not increase the punishment for the prior offense. “Restriction of the right of convicted felons to possess firearms is a legitimate exercise of police power rationally related to governmental interest in securing public safety.” [Huss, 7 F.3d 1444, (9th Cir. 1993)]. Clearly, no judge who has ever subscribed to this line of reasoning has ever had someone take away his or her privilege or right because of an act committed many years prior. Read the story of a military veteran of 22 years and former policeman whose juvenile conviction, despite being dismissed and all rights restored, was told by the federal government he could neither purchase nor
