A federal appeals court struck down a decades-old gun law Thursday that blocked people under domestic violence protection orders from possessing firearms, saying the law is unconstitutional after a new precedent for gun laws was set in a landmark Supreme Court decision.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth District ruled that the federal criminal statute did not fit “within our Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation,” a requirement for all gun laws set forth in the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen (NYSRPA v. Bruen) case in June, according to the ruling. The law, established in 1994, blocked the transfer of a firearm to anyone who was placed under a court protective order for “harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child of such intimate partner,” further saying that the aforementioned individual cannot possess a firearm or ammunition.
“The question presented in this case is not whether prohibiting the possession of firearms by someone subject to a domestic violence restraining order is a laudable policy goal. The question is whether 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), a specific statute that does so, is constitutional under the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. In the light of N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen, 142 S. Ct. 2111 (2022), it is not,” U.S. District Judge Cory Wilson wrote in the ruling.
The court’s decision came after an appeal was submitted in the United States of America v. Zackey Rahimi case, where Rahimi was charged for possessing a firearm while being under a domestic violence protective order, according to the ruling. Rahimi’s appeal claimed that his charges were unconstitutional in light of the precedent set by the NYSRPA v. Bruen case.
“We conclude that Bruen requires us to re-evaluate our Second Amendment jurisprudence and that under Bruen, § 922(g)(8) fails to pass constitutional muster. We therefore reverse the district court’s ruling to the contrary and vacate Rahimi’s conviction,” Wilson wrote in the ruling.
LEGAL ALERT: The Fifth Circuit has struck down 922(g)(8), saying that the government failed to demonstrate that it “fits within our Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.” https://t.co/y1Z6msPvta pic.twitter.com/69zl5vuq43
— FPC Action Foundation (@FPCAction) February 2, 2023
“In sum, our Founders envisioned a nation in which both citizen and sovereign alike play important roles in protecting the innocent against violent criminals. Our decision today is consistent with that vision. I concur,” Wilson wrote in the ruling.
All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- ‘Showing their true colors’: Republicans vote against Dem amendment to allow guns in state capitol - March 24, 2023
- Two foreign countries join forces in $10 billion lawsuit against US gun manufacturers - March 22, 2023
- ‘Unconstitutional’: Federal judge blocks multiple California gun restrictions - March 21, 2023
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!