United States of America v. John Doe

Denver, Colorado: John Doe appealed the denial of his motion to dismiss an information charging him with juvenile delinquency for violating 18 U.S.C. § 922(x)(2), which prohibits juvenile possession of a handgun. Doe argues that § 922(x)(2) exceeds Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause. We hold that Congress had a rational basis to conclude that regulating juvenile handgun possession is an essential part of a comprehensive regulatory scheme outlined in § 922(x) that directly and substantially affects interstate commerce. Congress also had a rational basis to conclude that this regulatory scheme would be undercut if § 922(x)(2) were excised from the statute.
We therefore affirm the district court’s ruling that Congress possessed the authority
to enact § 922(x)(2).

Affirmed