J.H.V. v. Negociado de la Policía de Puerto Rico

Summary

The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico consolidated two certiorari cases and held that the Negociado de la Policía may consider prior convictions that were judicially expunged from a person's criminal record but still appear in the digital databases the Police are statutorily required to search, when denying or revoking a firearms license under Arts. 2.02(d) and 2.09 of the 2019 Weapons Act. It further held that a negative criminal record certificate does not automatically confer eligibility, and that J.H.V.'s license was independently revocable due to her history of violent conduct (domestic violence complaints and a protection order). The Court reversed the Court of Appeals in both cases and reinstated the administrative and trial-court denials.