The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and its partners have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court urging the high court to hear a gun rights restoration case.

In December 2015, Selim Zherka pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make a false statement to a bank and for filing a false federal income tax return. After pleading guilty, Zherka was sentenced to prison and three years of supervised release in addition to paying fines and restitution. Zherka completed his sentence and supervised release in May 2020. Since that non-violent conviction for financial misconduct, he has been unable to possess firearms to protect himself or his family.

“We filed this amicus with the Supreme Court because we feel it’s time for the Court to end the lifetime prohibition of firearms possession for those convicted of non-violent crimes,” said SAF Director of Legal Research and Education Kostas Moros. “As we note in our brief, America’s tradition of firearm regulation provides support for prohibiting only dangerous people from owning firearms. Mr. Zherka’s convictions do not align with the nation’s history and tradition of disenfranchising individuals convicted of non-violent felonies.”

Joining SAF in the brief are the National Rifle Association, Firearms Policy Coalition and FPC Action Foundation.

“Mr. Zherka deserves the right to protect himself and his family just like any other American,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “His conviction of a non-violent felony should not preclude him from possessing firearms for self-defense. The conviction of financial crimes does not rise to the level of ‘dangerous’ and we are respectfully asking the Supreme Court to hear this case so Mr. Zherka, and others in the same situation, can regain their Second Amendment rights.”

For more information visit SAF.org.

The Second Amendment Foundation (saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the fundamental rights of individuals enshrined in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. SAF engages in aggressive legal action to ensure the principles of armed self-defense, personal liberty, and the ownership of arms are defended, secured, and restored. Through public education initiatives, SAF teaches the importance of the Second Amendment to promote a society that values and exercises the right to keep and bear arms.