Case Explained: United States of America v. Leonard J. Higgins

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Filed: 2026-07-28 The eighth-circuit affirmed the district court’s judgment upholding Leonard Higgins’ conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). The court held that Higgins’ constitutional challenges to the statute were foreclosed by binding circuit precedent, specifically citing United States v. Cunningham for the holding that § 922(g)(1) is facially constitutional and United States v. Jackson for rejecting as-applied challenges to the same provision. As a result, the district court’s imposition of a 120-month prison sentence and three years of supervised release remains in effect. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.