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A Judge's ruling in a Colorado case has national implications regarding situations in which persons convicted of domestic violence can be barred from carrying guns. Federal law forbids anyone found guilty of domestic violence from carrying a firearm. However, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Sparr recently issued a decision which interpreted the regulation as affecting only those couples "who share the same domicile in an intimate relationship." The case involved a Denver police officer who was "disqualified" from the department after he had been convicted of beating his girlfriend, then sued to get his job back. The 31-year-old officer, Alex Woods, was exempt from the law because he and the victim were not living together at the time of the assault, Judge Sparr said. The ruling brought Woods a step closer to regaining employment, but his rehiring will remain in limbo until any appeal or other court actions have been completed. Former Denver police union president John Wycoff applauded the ruling, stating that: "I don't agree with what Alex Woods did, but I still don't thinks there's a reason to take his gun away. His conviction was in 1995. The law wasn't passed (by Congress) until 1996." Wycoff said he "wouldn't be surprised" if the case is appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. |
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