Wisconsin Supreme Court dismisses case questioning whether man with expunged domestic violence record can buy guns
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit concerning whether Scot Van Oudenhoven, whose domestic violence conviction from 1994 was expunged in 2019, can legally purchase a gun. After the Wisconsin Department of Justice blocked his attempt to buy a handgun in 2022, citing federal law, Van Oudenhoven’s attorney argued that expunged misdemeanors should not impede firearm purchases. The court accepted briefs and heard arguments but decided to dismiss the case as “improvidently granted,” without providing a detailed explanation. The court’s liberal justices concurred in dismissing the case but criticized the lack of guidance, while the conservative justices expressed a desire to address the legal questions presented.
