Kontsagh

United States v. Kontsagh

Good Law
176 F. App'x 831
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitApril 18, 2006No. 05-10293California240 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

MEMORANDUM *

Zoltán Kontsagh appeals the district court’s denial of his motion to dismiss the charge against him under 18 U.S.C. § 922 (g)(1), which makes it unlawful for a *832 felon to “possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or ammunition.” Kontsagh argues that § 922(g)(1) is an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’ Commerce Clause power as applied to him. We review de novo the constitutionality of a statute. United States v. Gonzales, 307 F.3d 906, 909 (9th Cir.2002). Because the parties are familiar with the facts we need not recite them in detail.

Kontsagh, a convicted felon, was in possession of a gun that he concedes was assembled in Belgium and traveled through Missouri before arriving in Hawaii. The government does not dispute that Kontsagh himself never carried the firearm across state lines.

Established precedent forecloses Kontsagh’s as-applied constitutional claim because it is clear that his firearm, at some earlier time, traveled through interstate commerce. See United States v. Rousseau, 257 F.3d 925, 932-33 (9th Cir.), cert. denied. 534 U.S. 1013 , 122 S.Ct. 503 , 151 L.Ed.2d 413 (2001). In the absence of intervening, conflicting Supreme Court…

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