United States v. John Cornelius Hammons

RONEY, Circuit Judge:

Defendant John Hammons appeals his conviction under 18 U.S.C.A. § 922(h) for illegal receipt of a firearm by a convicted felon. 1 At trial, he admitted receiving the firearm, but alleged that he had acted only to protect the safety of another. The trial court, over defendant’s objection, instructed the jury to disregard defendant’s alleged reasons for receiving the firearm. On this appeal defendant contends that § 922(h) does not impose on convicted felons absolute liability for receiving firearms but that the jury should have been allowed to consider the circumstances…