Bellantoni Law

Commitment. Fortitude. Communication.

By: Amy L. Bellantoni

Attorney Profile

Bellantoni Law

15+ Years’ Trial-Tested Advocacy

Amy L. Bellantoni vigorously represents clients in a variety of state and federal claims including representing employers and employees in discrimination claims under the ADA, Title VII, Rehabilitation Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Act; sexual harassment, violations of the First Amendment and Equal Protection; Whistleblower/Qui Tam actions, breach of contract, defamation, family law, child custody, support and visitation petitions, criminal defense, state and federal appeals, and Article 78 proceedings.

An avid supporter of the Constitutional right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, Ms. Bellantoni represents clients with pistol licensing, revocations, restoring firearm rights, police seizures of firearms, firearm and self-defense related charges, and substantive First, Second, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment violations.

Bellantoni Law

Ms. Bellantoni is a former Senior Assistant District Attorney for Rockland County. As a Sr. ADA, she was assigned to the Investigations and White Collar Crime Units and has investigated and prosecuted hundreds of felony and misdemeanor crimes. While with the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, she was also cross-designated as a Special Deputy Assistant Attorney General with the New York State Attorney General’s Office’s Organized Crime Task Force and a Special Assistant United States Attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where she was involved in the investigation and prosecution of organized crime.

Ms. Bellantoni graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Political Science and earned her law degree from Western New England College School of Law.

Ms. Bellantoni is admitted to practice in New York State, the Federal Courts in the Southern, Eastern, and Northern Districts of New York, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the District of Columbia.

Please complete our contact form or self-schedule an appointment today.

New Project (37)

NICS Denials and Appeals

If you were denied by NICS for an event that took place...

Read More

New Project (36)

Sealing a Felony Conviction Does NOT Restore Gun Rights

Only a Certificate of Relief from Civil Disabilities will restore your Second...

Read More

New Project (35)

NICS Denials and Appeals

If you were denied by NICS for an event that took place...

Read More

Contact Us

Take a step toward peace of mind.

  • Contact us using the form below, self-schedule an appointment, or call (914) 367-0090 to schedule an appointment.

Address

2 Overhill Road, Suite 400
Scarsdale, New York 10583

NICS Denials and Appeals

If you were denied by NICS for an event that took place in New York State, whether it was related to police contact, family court, or a hospital visit, we can help you restore your Second Amendment rights.

As many of you know, the purchase of a firearm in New York requires approval through the National Instant Background Check System ("NICS"). Put differently, the background of the purchaser is required to be checked through NICS to ensure that s/he is legally eligible to possess firearms.

Many times, when a person is told by the FFL that their NICS check result is "Denied", after their initial embarrassment, they are often confused because they cannot think of any event that would be a prohibitor to firearm possession. Some individuals even already own rifles and/or shotguns and now learn that they cannot legally possess a firearm in New York.

First, obtain the transaction number for the purchase (the "NTN") , which is available from the Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL/gun shop) that performed the NICS check . The NTN is required to find out why NICS denied the transaction.

A denial by the NICS system is triggered by an underlying event or condition - or what NICS perceives as such. There are many underlying conditions and events that could trigger a NICS denial. The most common are consistent with the statutory federal prohibitors: felony conviction, misdemeanor conviction of domestic violence, current order of protection, dishonorable discharge from the military, etc.

In New York, a conviction of any type of "serious offense" misdemeanor is a prohibitor to firearm possession under Penal Law 265.00(17). "Serious offense" misdemeanors include Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Criminal Possession of a Weapon, among many others on the list. So, the arrest you had for a pocketknife when you were hanging out with your buddies in high school may have actually resulted in a conviction for a serious offense that terminated your 2A rights. Getting your firearm rights restored with a Certificate of Relief is a related topic that generally goes hand-in-hand with the NICS denial. Once your rights are restored, the issue that caused your NICS denial will be resolved.

NICS denials come about as a result of information in the databases of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services ("DCJS") and /or the New York database for mental health related issues.

The DCJS database contains all of the information related to arrests, charges, summonses, dispositions, and orders of protection issued against an individual. Some NICS denials are caused by court failure or human error. For example, an order of protection is issued against you but is ultimately vacated by the court or has expired. If that information is not properly reported by the court to DCJS (or is entered incorrectly by DCJS), NICS will deny your purchase. If you were arrested for a charge that is a prohibitor but the charge was dismissed or you were convicted of a non-prohibitor, but there is no disposition reported by DCJS on your criminal history, you will be denied by NICS.

On the mental health frontier, federal and state laws identify involuntary commitment and adjudication of a mental illness as prohibitors. Note - I did not say being involuntarily taken to a hospital. "Commitment" and "adjudication" are specific legal terms identifying due process - a guarantee under the Fourteenth Amendment.

In New York, if you go to a hospital - voluntarily on your own or with a family member or with the police - and someone there thinks you are feeling a bit down, be prepared to be on the SAFE Act list and denied by NICS. You would have received no due process involved, no notice, not even a piece of paper in your medical chart to alert you that you are on the SAFE Act list. Many people only learn they are on the SAFE Act list when they try to purchase a firearm, or apply for a position with law enforcement or the federal government - and none of them received due process, none of them were committed to any mental institution, and none of them were adjudicated as having any mental illness. A clear and obscene 14th Amendment violation.

If you have encountered this situation, contact my office to discuss your available remedies.

Whatever the reason for your NICS denial, I have probably encountered it before and, most likely, have helped other clients overcome the same hurdles to lawful firearm possession. Stay safe and God bless you.

Bellantoni Law

Sealing a Felony Conviction Does NOT Restore Gun Rights

Only a Certificate of Relief from Civil Disabilities will restore your Second Amendment rights. A man who recently had a felony conviction sealed through the State’s ‘expungement’ law (Penal Law 160.59) wondered if the Sealing Order was sufficient to restore his 2A rights. A fingerprint run through the FBI and DCJS revealed that, despite the…
Read More

Applying for a Pistol License – Do I Need an Attorney?

The majority of the phone calls that I receive are from individuals who call me after they have submitted their pistol license application and have received a denial letter from the licensing authority – the Judge, the Sheriff’s Office or the Police Commissioner. I think that we can all agree that the best approach to…
Read More

Areas We Serve

Representing Clients State-Wide The Bellantoni Law Firm provides complete and personalized attention for a broad range of legal matters across New York State.Our Scarsdale attorneys represent clients in State and Federal Courts from New York City to Ulster County in matters such as civil rights violations, discrimination, criminal defense, family law, employment disputes, and sexual harassment and general litigation. When your rights are in jeopardy and you need a strong advocate on your side, we fight to preserve your rights and seek justice on your behalf.

Bellantoni Law

Second Amendment, Certificates of Relief and Pistol License Representation State-Wide:

  • Westchester
  • Rockland
  • Orange
  • Bronx
  • Nassau
  • Monroe
  • Saratoga
  • Oneida
  • Buffalo
  • Schuyler
  • Steuben
  • Columbia
  • Sullivan
  • Greene
  • Washington
  • Warren
  • Essex
  • Jefferson
  • Schenectady
  • Cayuga
  • Chenango
  • Clinton
  • New York City
  • Putnam
  • Ulster
  • Dutchess
  • Suffolk
  • Onondaga
  • Albany
  • Tompkins
  • Tioga
  • Cortland
  • Broome
  • Lewis
  • Otsego
  • Delaware
  • Chemung
  • Hamilton
  • Montgomery
  • Madison
  • Rensselaer
  • Schoharie
  • Herkimer
  • Saint Lawrence

Take A Step Toward Peace Of Mind

Contact one of our attorneys today to schedule an initial consultation.Let’s discuss the legal issues involved and how our legal expertise can best serve you.Because every client is unique, we provide tailored counsel specific to your legal needs and concerns.

Complete our contact form or self-schedule a consultation today.

Practice Areas

Bellantoni Law

15+ Years’ Trial-Tested Experience

Bellantoni Law

USCCA Preferred Attorney

Bellantoni Law

Personalized Consultation