MIAMI (LN) — U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom on April 29 denied James Stafford Sinclair Jr.'s motion to dismiss, rejecting his argument that 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) cannot constitutionally bar felons from possessing firearms following Bruen. The court said Eleventh Circuit precedent in United States v. Rozier and United States v. Dubois directly forecloses the argument.
Sinclair argued his single non-violent drug conviction distinguishes him from other felons and entitles him to an individualized Second Amendment determination. The court disagreed, citing Dubois' reaffirmation that felons as a class remain categorically disqualified from firearm possession.
The court also rejected Sinclair's challenge to 26 U.S.C. § 5861(i) as applied to short-barreled rifles. Citing United States v. Miller, the court said the Supreme Court has long upheld regulation of firearms like sawed-off shotguns based on barrel length, and that reasoning extends to short-barreled rifles.
Sinclair's silencer challenge fared no better. The court found suppressors fall outside the Second Amendment's protections because they are not "bearable arms." The court quoted Sinclair's own brief: "A suppressor is not an independent weapon; it is an accessory designed to reduce the sound signature of a firearm." The court noted that silencers are not capable of expelling a projectile and do not facilitate that purpose, citing United States v. Hasson.
The court denied Sinclair's motion for reconsideration of the denial of his motion to suppress, finding it untimely filed April 12, 2026, well beyond the 14-day window following the January 9 suppression ruling. The court also said the motion raised no new evidence or manifest error.
Sinclair remains bound for trial on all six counts.