Yesterday, the Superior Court issued its decision in Commonwealth v. Ford, 196 ED 2016, in relation to whether natural corrosion (i.e. rust) over a firearm serial number constitutes a violation of Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearms Act for purposes of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Section 6110.2 provides in pertinent part:
No person shall possess a firearm which has had the manufacturer’s number integral to the frame or receiver altered, changed, removed or obliterated. 18 Pa.C.S. § 6110.2(a).
It is important to note that even though the parties stipulated that “serial number on the handgun was obscured by corrosion [and] recovered by polishing,” Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Nichols (the same Judge Nichols who just ran for and was elected to the Superior Court) found Mr. Ford guilty for possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Accordingly, the Superior Court framed the question before it as:
whether corrosion of manufacturer’s numbers renders them “altered, changed, removed or obliterated” within the meaning of section 6110.2.
After the court correctly noted that the phrase “altered, changed, removed or obliterated” was not defined, it turned to the ordinary dictionary definitions of these terms. After reviewing the definitions, the court held that:
section 6110.2 does not say that a crime takes place when a person possesses a gun whose markings have become illegible due to natural causes.
As a result, Mr. Ford’s conviction for possession of a firearm with obliterated markings was overturned.
If you or someone you know has been charged with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, contact us today to discuss your options!
Published by Joshua Prince, Esq.
With our 2nd Amendment rights being attacked at both the Federal and State level, and the ATF (Burea of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives) trying to close down FFLs (Federal Firearms Licensees) for minor infractions while making FFLs the scapegoat when the ATF's records are inaccurate, I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am one of only a handful of attorneys across the US that practices in the niche area of law known as firearms law. I decided to concentrate my legal practice on firearms law not only because I am a shooter and firearms enthusiast, but also to ensure that our inalienable Right to Keep and Bear Arms is never encroached upon.
I handle cases at the Federal and State level for both FFLs and individuals. At the federal and state levels for individuals, I actively defend the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution and Section 21 of the PA Constitution, as well as, help individuals with:
- License to Carry Firearms Denials;
- Challenges to Erroneous PICS Denials;
- Relief from Firearms Disabilities;
- Estate Planning Advice;
- Gun/NFA Trusts; and
- 42 USC 1983 Actions for Deprivation of Civil Rights
At both the state and federal levels, I represent FFLs and SOTs throughout Pennsylvania and the US regarding:
- ATF Compliance Inspections;
- Warning Letters and Hearings;
- FFL Revocations;
- Corporate Structure Advice
- Indoor/Outdoor Range Implementation; and
- Forfeiture Proceedings
In following my love for firearms and firearms law, I have taught several Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars on Firearms in Estates and Trusts and Firearms Law 101 for several Bar Associations, including Berks, Cumberland, and Dauphin Counties. I also planned and taught several Firearms in Estates CLE classes for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI).
While at Widener Law School, I was a member of the Widener Law Journal. I wrote an article on the Inaccuracy of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). I also had an article published on Fee Disputes in Workers Compensation cases in the Widener Law Journal, Volume 18, No. 2.
You can often find me posting on several internet forums, including Subguns, Uzitalk, AR15, and PAFOA. I also hold PA Firearms Law classes for local ranges to inform the public on the firearm laws of the Commonwealth.
Following in my father's footsteps, I am also a Board member for the Pottstown Police Athletic League (PAL).
View all posts by Joshua Prince, Esq.
Prince Law Offices Blog 
You really have to wonder how some people get elected as judges. This guy was going to go to prison for 2+ years because he let his gun rust ? And now this judge is sitting on the Superior Court ? What we need is a state Attorney General with some honest spine to drain the corrupted Philly political swamp. Unfortunately, Josh Shapiro has neither.
LikeLike