Skip to main content

No. 19-8193October Term 2019Decided May 4, 2020

Docket 19-8193October Term 2019 (2019–2020)

Purifoy v. United States

This is a case appealed from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to the Supreme Court.

Case status

Current stage
Decided
Latest event
Decision released May 4, 2020
Case Accepted
Arguments
Decision ReleasedMay 4, 2020
What it's about

This is a case appealed from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to the Supreme Court. The petitioner filed to proceed in forma pauperis, but the specific legal issues are not detailed in the available record.

Question presented

Whether the government must prove that a defendant knew he was a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) to sustain a conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm?

Case path

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit / Decision released May 4, 2020

Area

Gun Rights

Grounding

Grounding
Primary-source trail available.
Note
Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
Checked
Mar 30, 2026
Primary materials5