State v. Whitaker

BRADY, Justice.

This case requires us to determine whether the 2004 amendment to N.C.G.S. § 14-415.1, which prohibits convicted felons from possessing any firearm in any location, violates state and federal constitutional protections against ex post facto laws or is an unconstitutional bill of attainder. We hold that the amended statute is not an impermissible ex post facto law or bill of attainder. Accordingly, we affirm the decision of the Court of Appeals.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Defendant Douglas Dwayne Whitaker, a convicted felon with an extensive criminal record, was informed by…