ISSUE: Sam passed away and left a sizable gun collection to his three sons. Sam failed to take into consideration that his sons had been convicted of aggravated assault twenty years before down in Florida. Will Sam’s executor be able to carry out Sam’s wishes?

ANSWER: No. Pennsylvania Uniform Fire Arms Act establishes that persons are not allowed to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer fire arms if they have been convicted of an offense that includes aggravated assault. Other offenses that prevent one from obtaining guns include arson, aggravated indecent assault, burglary, and many others. Sam’s sons will have to attempt to get a restoration of their fire arms rights which will not be available to them for many years.

Disclaimer: The above article is for instructive purposes only and each case is fact sensitive. Consultation with an attorney should be obtained instead of reliance upon the legal issues discussed in this column.