Professor Larson Cited in Fourth Circuit Opinion

An article by Professor Carlton Larson was cited in a recent majority opinion by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in a case addressing the scope of Second Amendment rights of persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence.

In United States v. Chester, the court discussed the scholarly debate about the historical origins of felon disenfranchisement laws.  The opinion, authored by Chief Judge William Traxler, cited Professor Larson's article, Four Exceptions in Search of a Theory: District of Columbia v. Heller and Judicial Ipse Dixit, and quoted Professor Larson's conclusion that because state and federal "felon disarmament laws significantly postdate both the Second Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment, an originalist argument that sought to identify 1791 or 1868 analogues to felon disarmament laws would be quite difficult to make."

Carlton Larson's research interests focus on constitutional law and legal history, with a strong emphasis on the 18th century.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit opinion

Four Exceptions in Search of a Theory: District of Columbia v. Heller and Judicial Ipse Dixit