Attorney General Russell Coleman and Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers announced today they are appealing a recent Jefferson Circuit Court ruling, which would allow a convicted drug trafficker to possess a firearm.
Last week, the Circuit Court ruled that a state law barring felons from possessing firearms was unconstitutional and that prosecutors could not move forward on a charge against Jecory Lamont Frazier, a convicted drug-trafficking felon. The Attorney General’s appeal will be heard by the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
“Violent crime and deadly drugs are Louisville’s most urgent challenges. The Attorney General’s Office is committed to protecting families in this community in collaboration with Commonwealth’s Attorney Whethers, LMPD and other law enforcement partners,” said Attorney General Coleman. “We are appealing this order because it defies good common sense and would give even the most violent felon a broad right to possess deadly weapons. The most ardent supporters of the Second Amendment—me included—recognize the constitutionality of laws prohibiting the possession of firearms by felons like the defendant here.”
Frazier has a prior felon-in-possession conviction, a felony drug-trafficking conviction and multiple convictions for fraudulent use of a credit card.
The landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the individual right to keep and bear arms, District of Columbia v. Heller, which was written by Justice Scalia, specifically noted “nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons.”
“I come from a military family, and that, combined with my respect for the rule of law, is why I too am a continued supporter of the Second Amendment for law-abiding citizens,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers. “However, making it easier for those who have been previously convicted of felonies to access firearms puts the safety of our community at risk. Any order that runs contrary to our state laws already deemed constitutional under the Kentucky Constitution is a cause for concern.”
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