⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

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US v. Lester Massey, Jr. — 4th Cir. (Oct 30, 2026)

No. 25-4542 Argued October 30, 2026 Published October 31, 2026

The Fourth Circuit considers an appeal from a federal ammunition conviction. Investigators found ammunition during a 2023 search, and a jury convicted the defendant of possessing it after a disqualifying conviction. His earlier Maryland convictions made him legally ineligible to possess ammunition, a point his lawyer does not dispute. The federal restriction can cover crimes a state calls misdemeanors if their possible prison terms exceed two years; the state label alone does not settle the question. But the prosecution must also prove knowledge of the relevant conviction status when the ammunition was possessed. That is different from requiring knowledge of the federal prohibition itself. The defense will argue that the evidence did not prove the required knowledge more than a decade after the old convictions. The prosecution will defend the jury's finding that the defendant knew his disqualifying status.

US v. Lester Massey, Jr. (No. 25-4542) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, argued October 30, 2026.

Sources
Argument audio — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/OAarchive/mp3/25-4542-20261030.mp3
Argument listing — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/oral-argument/oral-argument-audio-files
Argument calendar and case synopsis — Fourth Circuit, October 30, 2026:https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/cal/internetcalOct272026.pdf
Trial background — U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, July 28, 2025:https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/oxon-hill-man-found-guilty-illegal-possession-ammunition
Federal conviction definitions — 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(20):https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/921
Federal possession restriction — 18 U.S.C. § 922(g):https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/922
Knowledge of status — Supreme Court, Rehaif v. United States:https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/17-9560

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