Cai Hunter McIntosh v. Washington

In all fifty States, a person loses the constitutional right to possess firearms after being convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, even if the person committed the crime as a juvenile. If, however, a court sets aside the conviction or restores the individual’s civil rights, the conviction disappears for purposes of federal law, and the person regains the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. In this case, the Washington Supreme Court refused to consider the petition of a young man who lost his firearm rights even though his state juvenile convictions were sealed and therefore “shall be treated as if they never occurred” under Washington law. Furthermore, Washington had already restored his civil rights to vote, to serve on a jury, and to hold public office. The question presented is: Should a sealed juvenile conviction that has essentially disappeared and for which a person’s civil rights have been restored prevent someone from owning a firearm under federal law?