Lori Jackson feared for her life, so she got a temporary restraining order against her husband. But he was still able to legally buy a handgun, which he used to kill Jackson.
This hour, we talk about the legal gaps that allow some domestic abusers to purchase firearms.
Proposed changes to federal law aim to address these gaps, changes that advocates say would protect women like Lori Jackson. But opponents say these changes would infringe on Second Amendment rights. We hear more about the debate to update the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Later, we talk about the unique legal obstacles Native American tribal nations face when seeking justice for domestic violence victims.
GUESTS:
- Ryan Lindsay - Reporter for Connecticut Public Radio and the Guns and America public radio reporting collaborative
- Julie Goldscheid - Professor at CUNY Law School
- Chief Mutáwi Mutáhash (Many Hearts) Dr. Lynn Malerba - Chief of Mohegan Tribe in Uncasville Connecticut; she is the Secretary of the United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund which represents 27 federally recognized tribal nations.