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Small v. United States
United States Supreme Court
544 U.S. 385 (2005)
- Written by Rich Walter, JD
Facts
Gary Small (defendant) returned to the United States after serving five years’ imprisonment in Japan for violating that country’s gun laws. Federal prosecutors charged Small with buying a gun in Pennsylvania, in violation of a statute outlawing the possession of firearms by anyone “convicted in any court” of a crime punishable by more than one year’s imprisonment. Small pleaded guilty but reserved his right to challenge the statute’s applicability to foreign-court convictions. After the district and Third Circuit courts rejected Small’s challenge, Small appealed to the Supreme Court.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Breyer, J.)
Dissent (Thomas, J.)
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