A federal judge blocked a California law that would have banned carrying firearms in most public places, ruling that it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and deprives people of their ability to defend themselves and their loved ones.
Quick Read
- Block on California Gun Law: A federal judge blocked a California law banning firearms in most public places, citing a violation of the Second Amendment.
- Law’s Prohibited Areas: The law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, would have barred concealed firearms in places like parks, churches, and banks starting January 1.
- Judge’s Ruling: U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney described the law as “sweeping” and “repugnant to the Second Amendment,” granting a preliminary injunction.
- Likelihood of Law Being Overturned: The court case continues, but the judge indicated that gun rights groups are likely to succeed in proving the law unconstitutional.
- Response from California Rifle and Pistol Association: The association, which sued against the law, sees the decision as a victory, arguing the law restricts law-abiding citizens’ rights to self-defense.
- State’s Reaction and Planned Appeal: California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta plans to appeal the decision, emphasizing public safety concerns, while Governor Newsom vows to continue advocating for strict gun measures.
- Newsom’s Stance on Gun Control: Newsom, viewed as a potential presidential candidate, has been proactive in signing various gun control bills, including those targeting ghost guns and gun violence lawsuits.
- Background on Judge Carney: Judge Cormac Carney was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in 2003 and is a former Orange County Superior Court judge.
The Associated Press has the story:
Federal judge blocks California law that bans carrying firearms in most public places
Newslooks- LOS ANGELES (AP)
A federal judge blocked a California law that would have banned carrying firearms in most public places, ruling that it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and deprives people of their ability to defend themselves and their loved ones.
The law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September was set to take effect Jan. 1. It would have prohibited people from carrying concealed guns in 26 places including public parks and playgrounds, churches, banks and zoos. The ban would apply whether the person has a permit to carry a concealed weapon or not. One exception would be for privately owned businesses that put up signs saying people are allowed to bring guns on their premises.
U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney granted a preliminary injunction blocking the law, which he wrote was “sweeping, repugnant to the Second Amendment, and openly defiant of the Supreme Court.”
The court case against the law will proceed while the law is blocked. The judge wrote that gun rights groups are likely to succeed in proving it unconstitutional, meaning it would be permanently overturned.
The decision is a victory for the California Rifle and Pistol Association, which sued to block the law. The measure overhauled the state’s rules for concealed carry permits in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, which set several states scrambling to react with their own laws. That decision said the constitutionality of gun laws must be assessed by whether they are “consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”
“California progressive politicians refuse to accept the Supreme Court’s mandate from the Bruen case and are trying every creative ploy they can imagine to get around it,” the California association’s president, Chuck Michel, said in a statement. “The Court saw through the State’s gambit.”
Michel said under the law, gun permit holders “wouldn’t be able to drive across town without passing through a prohibited area and breaking the law.” He said the judge’s decision makes Californians safer because criminals are deterred when law-abiding citizens can defend themselves.
State Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office will appeal the decision, which he said if allowed to stand “would endanger communities by allowing guns in places where families and children gather.”
Newsom said he will keep pushing for stricter gun measures.
“Defying common sense, this ruling outrageously calls California’s data-backed gun safety efforts ‘repugnant.’ What is repugnant is this ruling, which greenlights the proliferation of guns in our hospitals, libraries, and children’s playgrounds — spaces, which should be safe for all,” the governor said in a statement Wednesday evening.
Newsom has positioned himself as a national leader on gun control while he is being increasingly eyed as a potential presidential candidate. He has called for and signed a variety of bills, including measures targeting untraceable “ghost guns,” the marketing of firearms to children and allowing people to bring lawsuits over gun violence. That legislation was patterned on a Texas anti-abortion law.
Carney is a former Orange County Superior Court judge who was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in 2003.
