Federal judges strike down California open-carry ban [View all]
Source: msn/Politico
12h
SACRAMENTO, California — California’s near-total ban on openly carrying firearms in public is unconstitutional, a panel of federal judges ruled on Friday. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a portion of California’s gun licensing laws that prohibits authorities from issuing permits to openly carry guns in counties with more than 200,000 people — covering California’s major population centers.
The judges ruled 2-1 that the policy is inconsistent with the 2022 firearm access standards set by the Supreme Court’s New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen decision. That ruling stated gun laws should prioritize historical Second Amendment rights over public safety issues.
The appellate panel is made up of two Donald Trump appointees, Lawrence VanDyke and Kenneth Lee, and one selected by George W. Bush, N. Randy Smith. VanDyke wrote the ruling, with Lee concurring and Smith partially dissenting and concurring.
“Under Bruen, this is a straightforward case,” VanDyke wrote. “California is attempting to address a general societal problem through materially different means than were used during either the Founding or Reconstruction.”
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/federal-judges-strike-down-california-open-carry-ban/ar-AA1TtTEe
Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2026/01/02/24-565.pdf
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