Where others would have caved under legal pressure, McCloskey took a different approach. He stood firm, knowing the Constitution was on his side.
“It only took 3 lawsuits, 2 trips to the Court of Appeals and 1,847 days, but I got my AR15 back!” he posted on X alongside a photo of the retrieved firearm.
“We defended our home, were persecuted by the Left, smeared by the press, and threatened with death, but we never backed down.”
His legal journey wasn’t cheap or easy. He told Fox News Digital the rifle was worth about $1,500 — but the price he paid in court fees, time, and effort was far greater.
“That gun may have only been worth $1,500 or something, and it cost me a lot of time and a lot of effort to get it back, but you have to do that,” McCloskey explained.
“You have to let them know that you will never back down, you’ll never give up.”
It only took 3 lawsuits, 2 trips to the Court of Appeals and 1,847 days, but I got my AR15 back! We defended our home, were persecuted by the left, smeared by the press, and threatened with death, but we never backed down What's missing-Patty and the Bryco (soon) pic.twitter.com/NOEyzyXZWM
The McCloskeys were thrust into the national spotlight in 2020 when they stood outside their St. Louis home with firearms to deter a crowd of BLM activists who had stormed through a locked gate marked “No Trespassing.”
Rather than applauding the couple for exercising their right to defend private property, local Democrat prosecutor Kim Gardner brought charges against them. The move was so blatantly political that Missouri’s Attorney General intervened, demanding the charges be thrown out.
Even President Donald Trump weighed in, defending their constitutional right to protect their home.
Ultimately, the couple entered misdemeanor pleas in 2021 and agreed to surrender their weapons. But their punishment didn’t stick for long — because Republican Governor Mike Parson issued them full pardons that same year.
Despite the pardon, left-leaning officials in St. Louis refused to return the seized weapons. Courts initially argued that a pardon didn’t erase the “guilt” attached to the plea — a baffling legal position that only made sense if your goal was to punish political opponents.
But in 2024, McCloskey and his wife fought back again, filing to expunge their records. Judge Joseph P. Whyte granted their request in June, restoring their rights under Missouri law.
City attorneys tried to block the effort, bizarrely claiming the couple posed a “public safety” threat because Mark had referenced the case during his U.S. Senate campaign. But the judge wasn’t buying the political theatrics.
He ruled that the law required expungement and that courts couldn’t deny relief based on political motives. Protester testimony failed to show any ongoing danger — just one incident from 2020 that had already been addressed.
This wasn’t just a win for the McCloskeys. It was a sharp rebuke to the radical Left’s growing use of lawfare to silence political enemies.
“If you’ve been wronged, if you’ve been overreached by the leftist government – you can’t give up,” McCloskey told Fox News.
“You can’t let them get an inch.”
The couple’s story became a beacon for defenders of the Second Amendment and property rights. Their appearance at the 2020 Republican National Convention solidified their role as heroes among grassroots conservatives.
And the fight isn’t over yet — Patricia McCloskey’s handgun is expected to be returned soon, marking the final step in their complete legal victory.
This entire saga has laid bare the Left’s disturbing playbook: target innocent Americans who dare to stand up for their rights, while letting violent criminals run wild. Prosecutor Kim Gardner, who led the charge against the McCloskeys, resigned in disgrace in 2023 after facing a barrage of scandals and criticism for mismanaging major cases.
While she was protecting the mob, ordinary homeowners like the McCloskeys were made into villains. But in the end, the truth prevailed.
“Each and every one of us owns a personal responsibility for our freedom and our democratic republic,” McCloskey said in a statement.
Let the Left take notes: the American spirit is not easily broken. When patriots stand their ground, the Constitution still has teeth. The McCloskeys proved that even in today’s corrupt legal climate, courage and conviction can overcome the worst kind of political persecution.
