Yes, permanently, in almost every case. An ADW conviction is a felony under Rhode Island law, which triggers a lifetime firearms disability under both Rhode Island state law and federal law (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)). You will not be able to lawfully buy, possess, or even be near a firearm for the rest of your life absent a rare restoration of rights. If the case has any domestic-violence component - intimate partner, household member, co-parent - the federal Lautenberg Amendment adds an additional firearms prohibition that attaches even if the underlying charge is reduced to a misdemeanor. For many clients, the firearms consequence is the single strongest reason to fight the case aggressively rather than plead it out. Your Rhode Island assault with a dangerous weapon lawyer needs to be thinking about firearms consequences at every stage of plea negotiation.
