Posted on November 30, 2012 in Chicago News

Andre V. Scott, 31, of Carbondale, was arraigned in federal court in Benton, according to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Scott “was charged by indictment on November 6, 2012, with Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.” He was then held without bond and is awaiting a January 2012 jury trial. An offense such as Scott’s carries a penalty of up to “10 years’ imprisonment, 3 years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 upon conviction.” The investigation was conducted by the Carbondale Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Chicago has long had a pretty severe firearm ordinance, but in June of this year it took a heavy blow when “a federal judge ruled that the section banning permits for people convicted of unlawful use of a weapon is vague and unconstitutional,” according to the Chicago Tribune. This ruling offers some hope for Scott and those accused like him, because it means that a conversation deciding whether or not a person convicted of even a misdemeanor offense can own a firearm is already well within the public psyche.

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