⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Fifth Circuit considers a gun-possession conviction involving a man with prior drunk-driving convictions. The case began with his own call to police: he said he was hearing voices urging violence at schools. Deputies removed guns from his home. His earlier drunk-driving record included a felony conviction. He later pleaded guilty in federal court and is now appealing his firearm conviction under the Second Amendment. Federal law generally prohibits gun possession by someone convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year in prison. The question here is whether applying that restriction to this defendant is constitutional. Drunk driving can plainly put lives at risk. But an older Supreme Court case the lawyers will discuss distinguished that danger from purposeful violence under a different sentencing law. Listen for whether that distinction carries over to gun rights, how the judges assess the historical laws each side offers, and which facts about this man's record they may consider.

USA v. Thompson (No. 25-11062) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, argued November 3, 2026.