F-2003-1136
In OCCA case No. F-2003-1136, Ernest Lynn appealed his conviction for Possession of Firearms After Conviction of a Felony. In an unpublished decision, the court decided to remand the matter for further proceedings. One judge dissented. Lynn had been tried in a bench trial, where he was not found guilty of Feloniously Pointing a Firearm but was convicted on another charge. He received a one-year prison sentence. Lynn argued that the trial court was wrong to convict him based on facts not presented in the original charges and that self-defense was not properly considered. He also contended that the gun found in a warrantless search should not have been used against him. The court looked at the record and saw that there was no big mistake in how the charge was presented, as Lynn admitted to having the gun. They did not agree with Lynn's claim that his mother's consent to the search was not voluntary, stating that he had no right to challenge the search. Therefore, they found no fault in how the trial court handled the case. Lynn further argued that he should be able to use self-defense as a reason for possessing the firearm. He wanted the court to allow a justification defense where a person can temporarily take a gun from an attacker to protect themselves. The court noted that other laws allow people to defend themselves, and it seemed unfair that a convicted felon could not defend their life. In the end, while the court could not change the outcome of the bench trial immediately, they remanded the case back to the district court to look at whether Lynn's self-defense claim could be valid in this situation. Thus, more hearings would be needed to determine the facts and make a final decision.