Twisted logic means an Ohio domestic abuser can get his gun back | Opinion

An Ohio common pleas court ruled that a man with two misdemeanors and one felony domestic violence conviction couldn’t have his right to bear arms restored. the Supreme Court disagreed.

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Ray Marcano is a Columbus Dispatch contributing columnist.

A bill working its way through the Ohio House would create a repeat domestic violence offender registry that’s patterned after Tennessee’s recently passed law.

Now, the bill’s proponents should go further and include a measure that prohibits anyone convicted of domestic violence from owning a firearm or getting those rights restored.

This issue surfaced after the Allen County Court of Common Pleas ruled that, under federal law, a man convicted of two misdemeanors and one felony count of domestic violence couldn’t have his right to bear arms restored.

An appeals court and now the Supreme Court disagreed, and the case is heading back to Allen County, which will decide whether the man, Patrick Heffley, can get his guns back.

The laws that govern how a citizen can lose the right to possess firearms and the appeals process for regaining that right are complicated.

They shouldn’t be, at least not in Ohio.

Just say no.

Flaw in our law must be fixed

Under federal law, anyone convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor charge can’t possess a firearm.  But Ohio law doesn’t automatically take away guns in these cases, so courts decide whether to restore rights.

More: Ohio Supreme Court says people convicted of domestic violence can get guns back

That shouldn’t be.

Currently, judges determine whether an offender has been reformed and is likely to continue leading a law-abiding life. Maybe the person has turned over a new leaf and has become a respected, productive community member. That would be great.

Just say no.

Those are three easy words, especially since 157 people died as a result of domestic violence in the 12 months ending June 2025, the most in a decade, according to the Ohio Domestic Violence Network.

More than eight in 10 deaths involved a firearm, showing there’s no way someone convicted of domestic violence should own a gun, even if the offense happened decades ago.

So, this gives the bill’s sponsors an opportunity to fix a flaw in the law.

I know the arguments that would justify inaction. There’s no guarantee that mirroring federal law will stop deaths here. We’re a society of second chances and should embrace those who have repented.

That’s true, but society also has laws with consequences for disobeying them. One should be straightforward.

If you beat up your partner in an act of violence, you lose the ability to own a weapon that can be used to perpetrate more violence.

Ohio’s proposed law, House Bill 846, by Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Butler Twp., and Rep. Cecil Thomas, D-Cincinnati, would mandate repeat offenders register for anywhere for two to 10 years with their name, photo, date of birth and location.

Plummer and Thomas should add to their bill and ban these offenders from having firearms.

That should be.

Ray Marcano is a Columbus Dispatch contributing columnist. The longtime journalist is the former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a two-time Pulitzer juror, and a Fulbright fellow.