U.S.
Supreme Court’s 1968 Haynes v. U.S.
decision:
Haynes,
a convicted felon, was convicted of unlawful possession of an unregistered
short-barreled shotgun. He argued
that for a convicted felon to register a gun was effectively an announcement to
the government that he was breaking the law and that registration violated his
Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination.
The court, by an 8 – 1 margin, agreed, concluding:
“We
hold that a proper claim of the constitutional privilege against
self-incrimination provides a full defense to prosecutions either for failure to
register a firearm…or for possession of an unregistered firearm.” (Summary
from American Rifleman, March 2000, page 20)
So,
when these gun registration schemes are announced, be aware that only lawful
gun-owners are required to register their firearms.
Unlawful owners are exempted from registration laws due to their
constitutional protection against self-incrimination.
Amazing but true…