Attorney Gains Firearms Permit for Man Disqualified for Gun Ownership

Dr. George L. Kraft III, a chiropractor in St. Louis Country, Missouri, is now the proud owner of a .357 revolver with a six-inch barrel after his attorney successfully challenged Missouri statutes and federal classification that prohibited Kraft from owning a firearm.

The state of Missouri disqualified Kraft from the right to own firearms after he suffered a stroke in 2005 until attorney Christopher J. Zellers of the Zellers Law Firm, LLC, gained a judgment in St. Louis County Circuit Court overturning the disqualification after an 18-month legal process.

“My client was deemed incapacitated because of a stroke and as a result became subject to all disqualifications in the state of Missouri, including from owning, possessing or purchasing a firearm,” says Zellers. “Dr. Kraft also was listed in the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), ineligible to make a firearms purchase.”

“With therapy, Dr. Kraft recovered and was deemed a restored person and the court lifted all disqualifications except for the firearm disqualification, and he remained listed as ineligible in the NCIS. He was shocked and very disappointed with the designations.”

“Our goal with the legal process was to restore Dr. Kraft’s Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms,” says Zellers, who is a member of the National Rifle Association. “We enrolled Dr. Kraft in gun safety classes and, also, he visited several medical specialists who validated his balance and mental capabilities.”

“After researching the Missouri statutes and petitioning the court to remove the disqualification, we were told by St. Louis County prosecutors that this was the first time a petition of this kind was entered into Circuit Court,” says Zellers.

“We convinced the court that Dr. Kraft was able to properly handle a firearm and was not a danger to the public. When we obtained a favorable judgment from the St. Louis County Circuit Court, we appealed the NICS denial.

“We recently received NICS appeal results lifting the restrictions and Dr. Kraft made his very first firearm purchase.”

“This is a victory for Dr. Kraft in a long battle to help him feel ‘whole’ again, and to enjoy every aspect of life,” Zellers observes. “His case opens the way for other people in similar situations to win the right to own firearms after being disqualified,” says Zellers. “We are pleased that the 18-month legal process has been favorably resolved for our client.” Dr. Kraft is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.

Shown in the photo above, Zellers is the founder of Zellers Law Firm, LLC, with offices in Clayton, a St. Louis suburb. He graduated from Saint Louis University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and earned his Juris Doctor (JD) from Saint Louis University School of Law. Zellers focused his legal education on litigation skills while attending St. Louis University School of Law.

For more information, call Christopher Zellers directly at 314 287 1312 or his office at 314 296 6169.

***