State v. Thiel

Jeffrey Thiel (Thiel) seeks review of a court of appeals decision prohibiting him from possessing firearms. Thiel was convicted of a felony in 1970. Eleven years later, in 1981, the legislature enacted sec. 941.29, Stats., which prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. Thiel challenges the statute as it applies to him, arguing that it retroactively punishes him for the felony he committed before the statute was enacted, and therefore violates the Ex Post Facto Clause of the Wisconsin Constitution. We disagree. We conclude that the statute was not enacted with the intent to punish…