In Our View: Supreme Court is right
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court made the correct decision not to accept a Maryland case that banned AR-15 semiautomatic assault weapons. These are the types of guns used in high-profile mass killings. The Court also declined to accept a Rhode Island case that banned high-capacity magazines.
This means the laws in both states will take effect. Similar legislation and litigation has been going on around the country due to recent high-profile shootings.
The Firearms Policy Coalition, a gun rights group against the two laws, issued a statement saying 'they are disappointed members of the Supreme Court did not have the judicial courage to do their most important job and enforce the Constitution.'
We disagree. The Supreme Court did do its job. The Court declined hearing either of these cases. The Supreme Court is not bound to hear every case. In fact, it overwhelmingly rejects most cases which allows lower court decisions stand. It takes four members to vote to accept a case for a hearing.
Currently, the U.S. Supreme Court operates on a 6-3 conservative majority. The court indicated it is likely to take up similar legislation in the future. The court has been reluctant to tamper with what many view as gun rights. Justice Kavanaugh wrote in a separate statement that the ruling upholding the Maryland ban is 'questionable.'
In 2022, the Supreme Court made a major ruling that, for the first time, the right to bear arms is expanded outside the home.
Justice Thomas, Justice Alito and Justice Gorsuch wanted to hear the Maryland case. The Maryland law bans what it calls 'weapons of war,' outlawing guns like the M16 and AR-15.
It became law in 2013. That was after the Sandy Hook school massacre that killed 20 children and six adults. The Rhode Island law prohibits people from owning magazines that contain more than 10 bullets.
In a case this year, the Supreme Court upheld a Biden-era ruling that banned 'ghost gun' kits that can be assembled to make firearms. In July of last year, the Supreme Court upheld a ban on persons owning firearms that have domestic restraining orders against them.
To be sure, these gun-related issues will continue to come before the court. We are surprised such a conservative court ruled the way they did in this matter.
Or, could it be the Supreme Court is just doing its job?
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