A federal judge has ruled that the Nassau County Sheriff's Department violated the rights of a woman who was the subject of an order of protection by retaining her firearms without a due process hearing.

Eastern District Judge Joan Azrack, writing in Panzella v. County of Nassau, 13-cv-5640, ordered the county on Wednesday to hold a hearing by Sept. 25 on returning plaintiff Christine Panzella's two shotguns and two rifles, which the sheriff's department had seized in 2012 after her ex-husband filed an order of protection against her.

According to court papers, Panzella's firearms were taken by sheriff's deputies while they were serving her with the order. One of the deputies gave Panzella a property receipt for the firearms and other items confiscated from her home, but the receipt did not contain instructions as to how or when she would be able to recover the items.