Runions v. Burchett

Ohio Ct. App.July 13, 2018No. 2017-CA-62Cited 3 times

Defendant WinClark County Sheriff's Office

Case Details

Judge(s): Donovan
Status: Published
Procedural Posture: appeal

Related Laws

No specific laws identified for this ruling.

Outcome

The appellate court affirmed the trial court's decision upholding the sheriff's denial of Runions's concealed carry license application based on his prior felony convictions, finding that a gubernatorial pardon does not relieve the disability imposed by statute for CCL eligibility purposes.

Excerpt

Trial court did not err when it denied appellant's application for a concealed carry license (CCL) based upon three felony convictions for which he been pardoned by the governor of Ohio. Significantly, his pardon does not equate with a sealing or expungement of his convictions pursuant to sections 2151.355 to 2151.358, sections 2953.31 to 2953.36, or section 2953.37 of the Revised Code. Since appellant was not convicted of a felony "offense of violence" pursuant to R.C. 2923.13(A)(2), none of his felony convictions caused him to be placed under disability to carry or possess a firearm pursuant to R.C. 2923.13. Because appellant was not under disability, there is no disability to remove. Thus, the pardon did not relieve appellant "under operation of law or legal process from any disability imposed pursuant to section 2923.13 of the Revised Code." R.C. 2923.125(D)(4). Therefore, the sheriff was required to consider Runions's unsealed felony convictions in finding him not qualified for a CCL. Judgment affirmed.

What This Ruling Means

# Runions v. Burchett: Concealed Carry License Denial ## What Happened Runions applied for a concealed carry license from the Clark County Sheriff's Office but was denied because of three prior felony convictions. Although Ohio's governor had pardoned him for these crimes, the sheriff maintained that the pardons did not remove the legal barriers to obtaining the license. ## What the Court Decided The appeals court sided with the sheriff. The court ruled that a gubernatorial pardon—while forgiving the crime—does not eliminate the legal disabilities that come with felony convictions. Under Ohio law, certain convictions automatically disqualify someone from getting a concealed carry license, and a pardon alone does not change this requirement. ## Why This Matters for Workers This ruling clarifies that pardons have limits. While they represent official forgiveness, they don't erase all legal consequences of convictions. For job seekers and employees, this means past convictions can continue affecting eligibility for certain licenses, certifications, or positions—even after receiving a pardon. Understanding these limitations is important when applying for work requiring special credentials or clearances.

This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.

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