{"id":1208,"date":"2025-06-23T18:52:24","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T22:52:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.criminalattorneytampa.net\/blog\/?p=1208"},"modified":"2026-01-09T04:01:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T09:01:15","slug":"florida-evaluates-rehaif-error-in-federal-firearm-possession-conviction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.criminalattorneytampa.net\/blog\/florida-evaluates-rehaif-error-in-federal-firearm-possession-conviction\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida Evaluates Rehaif Error in Federal Firearm Possession Conviction"},"content":{"rendered":"

In federal firearms prosecutions under 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 922(g), the government must prove not only that the defendant possessed a firearm, but also that the defendant knew at the time of possession that he was prohibited from doing so due to a prior felony conviction. This knowledge requirement was clarified by the United States Supreme Court in\u00a0Rehaif v. United States<\/em>\u00a0in 2019. A recent decision<\/a> from a federal court sitting in Florida illustrates how courts evaluate cases tried before\u00a0Rehaif<\/em>\u00a0and whether a missing jury instruction on the knowledge element requires reversal. If you are facing a firearm charge under federal law, a knowledgeable Tampa criminal defense attorney can assess whether your constitutional rights were upheld during trial and sentencing.<\/p>\n

Factual and Procedural Background<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It is reported that the defendant was convicted in federal court of possessing a firearm as a felon in violation of 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 922(g)(1). The charge stemmed from an incident in which law enforcement officers found a loaded pistol during a search of the defendant\u2019s vehicle following a traffic stop. The defendant had previously been convicted of multiple felonies and was prohibited from possessing firearms.<\/p>\n

Allegedly, the trial in this case occurred before the Supreme Court\u2019s decision in\u00a0Rehaif v. United States<\/em>, which held that the government must prove the defendant knew of his felony status when he possessed the firearm. At trial, the court instructed the jury that to convict, it must find that the defendant knowingly possessed the firearm, but the instruction did not include the requirement that the defendant knew he was a convicted felon. Continue Reading \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In federal firearms prosecutions under 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 922(g), the government must prove not only that the defendant possessed a firearm, but also that the defendant knew at the time of possession that he was prohibited from doing so due to a prior felony conviction. This knowledge requirement was clarified by the United States Supreme […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1803,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weapons"],"yoast_head":"\nRehaif Error in Firearm Possession Case<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how a Florida court looked at Rehaif errors in a federal gun case and what the government must prove about your status.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.criminalattorneytampa.net\/blog\/florida-evaluates-rehaif-error-in-federal-firearm-possession-conviction\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta 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