Conviction Upheld Over False Statements on Gun Application

A man’s conviction for lying on his application to buy a gun must be upheld, the Seventh Circuit decided, unconvinced by his arguments that the charges violated his right to bear arms.

John Holden sought to purchase a gun in 2021. When asked on his ATF Form 4473 if he was under indictment for any crime punishable by imprisonment for a year or more, he answered “no.” But this wasn’t true because Holden was accused of battering a public safety official under Indiana law.

Holden was then charged under a law that prohibits making false statements in order to receive ...