Results

Kelly Keegan’s client retained her after having a permit to purchase denied due to a 1992 conviction of Felony Third Degree Burglary in Anoka County. As this charge was considered a crime of violence under Minnesota State law at the time her client was released from probation, he became subject to a lifetime ban on possessing firearms. Although the Minnesota Supreme Court determined in 2020 that the Minnesota Legislature intended through subsequent amendments to the law to remove this offense from the list of crimes of violence, a judicial order was still needed to update Federal records. Kelly was able to obtain the appropriate paperwork showing her client’s rights were restored and then pave the way with the federal government National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) so her client can receive his permit to carry and purchase firearms without denial or delay.

Kelly Keegan’s client had his vehicle seized and subject to forfeiture as a result of a Gross Misdemeanor Second Degree Driving While Impaired charge. Through negotiations with the prosecutor and the police, Kelly was able to have her client’s vehicle returned though buying it back for half the value, avoiding a drawn-out court fight in order to get her client’s vehicle back into his hands as quickly as possible so that his family would have transportation.

When Kelly’s client was 19 he was convicted of Aiding and Abetting Felony First Degree Burglary in Hennepin County for entering a man’s home without permission so his brother and brother’s friends could assault the man.  As a result of this conviction, he was subject to a lifetime firearms prohibition. Kelly was able to demonstrate her client was not the main actor, and her client’s subsequent successes and rehabilitation were presented to the judge to show this was an isolated incident in an otherwise good and successful life. The judge agreed, restoring his rights so that he can take his daughter hunting, inherit his father’s guns, and attend hunting outings with friends and colleagues.

Kelly’s client came to her mystified as to why he was being denied or put on delay when trying to purchase a gun. After considering the various possibilities, Kelly determined that his Bureau of Criminal Apprehension record was incorrect, namely that it contained an Identification for Firearm Sales (IFFS) Flag indicating he was subject to a lifetime firearm prohibition, when in fact he had only been prohibited for 10 years and that prohibition had expired, requiring removal of the flag. Kelly notified the BCA of their mistake and provided them with court documentation to support her arguments. The BCA agreed and removed the IFFS Flag, meaning that her client can now purchase firearms without being delayed or having his purchase denied.

When Kelly Keegan’s client was 17 he set fire to a Dakota Sheriff squad car with two friends and was subsequently adjudicated delinquent (the juvenile version of a conviction) of Aiding and Abetting Felony Second Degree Arson, leading to a lifetime ban on possessing firearms. Her client went on to be successful in life, regretting what he’d done and doing his best to put it behind him. As an avid outdoorsman and owner of a small hobby farm, he wanted to be able to protect his animals from harm, so he came to Kelly to restore his right to possess firearms. Kelly convincingly argued her client was rehabilitated and the judge agreed, restoring her client’s rights so he could be a whole citizen with the same rights and privileges as others.