NEW ORLEANS (September 12, 2025) – Attorneys for George Peterson this week filed a petition for full-court rehearing with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in United States v. Peterson, a Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC)-backed challenge to the federal government’s unconstitutional National Firearms Act (NFA) tax and registration requirements for suppressors, the organization announced.
Following a deeply flawed opinion issued by a 3-judge panel in late August, Peterson’s counsel explained in their petition for en banc review that the decision “would appear to allow the government to tax and require the registration of every privately owned firearm in the Nation”—a result that is irreconcilable with the Constitution and relevant United States history. The attorneys further argued that such a sweeping outcome “is a sure sign that something in the panel’s opinion has gone awry.”
“The full Fifth Circuit must step in and course-correct before the panel’s dangerous errors take hold,” said FPC President Brandon Combs. “Forcing people to pay special taxes on constitutionally protected rights and register their arms is the kind of tyranny our Founders rightly rejected. We are proud to continue supporting Mr. Peterson’s critically important appeal and our work to eliminate these unconstitutional laws.”
Individuals who want to support Peterson’s appeal and FPC’s mission to dismantle unconstitutional gun control can join the FPC Grassroots Army at JoinFPC.org.
The petition in United States v. Peterson, along with other case documents, can be viewed at firearmspolicy.org/peterson. Mr. Peterson is represented by attorneys David H. Thompson, Peter A. Patterson, William V. Bergstrom, and Athanasia O. Livas of Cooper & Kirk, as well as FPC Action Foundation President Cody Wisniewski and Richard J. Richthofen, Jr. of New Orleans.
About the Organizations
Firearms Policy Coalition (firearmspolicy.org), a 501(c)4 nonprofit membership organization, exists to create a world of maximal human liberty, defend constitutional rights, advance individual liberty, and restore freedom. We work to achieve our strategic objectives through litigation, research, scholarly publications, amicus briefing, legislative and regulatory action, grassroots activism, education, outreach, and other programs. Our FPC Law program is the nation’s preeminent legal action initiative focused on restoring the right to keep and bear arms throughout the United States. For more on FPC’s lawsuits and other pro-Second Amendment initiatives, follow FPC on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
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