Latest news with #AR–15s
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court rejects Maryland AR-15 case, and interest groups respond
BALTIMORE — It's not clear if the Supreme Court's decision to deny two gun cases, including a challenge to a Maryland ban on AR-15s, a semi-automatic rifle, will influence how other gun cases are determined. However, gun owners say the split-court's case rejection reflects skepticism from some justices that the ban is constitutional. 'Four members of the Court, including Justice Kavanaugh, have made clear that the Fourth Circuit incorrectly decided the case,' said Mark Pennak, president of Maryland Shall Issue, a group advocating for gun owner rights expansion. In his view, the court's rejection only 'temporarily' allows the ban to hold. 'Once the Court grants review of the issue, the decision in that case will be controlling precedent in MD and elsewhere. If plaintiffs win on this issue in that case, the Maryland law will fail as well,' he said. The ban was enacted in response to the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Newton, Connecticut, where 20 children and six school staff members were killed. The Maryland case, Snope v. Brown, was declined alongside a Rhode Island case which contested a ban on high-capacity gun magazines. While Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas said they would hear the case, four of the nine Supreme Court justices must agree to hear a case. Justice Brett Kavanaugh said he expects the court will address the issue of AR-15 legality 'in the next Term or two.' Kavanaugh also said that AR–15s are legal in 41 of the 50 States, which makes Maryland's law, relatively, 'something of an outlier.' Gun control advocates, including several Maryland elected officials, felt relieved at the high court's decision, saying that Marylanders are safer with the ban in place. Daniel Webster, Bloomberg Professor of American Health in Violence Prevention at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said that he views the court's rejection of the case favorably. 'I think it'll mean that assault weapon ban will stay in, and I think that that's generally a good thing in terms of public safety,' Webster said. 'And I think that that is a policy that most Marylanders support for sure.' He also said that there are other states where similar bans have been challenged on Second Amendment grounds, but most courts have supported the bans. Maryland Congressman Glenn Ivey, a Democrat, posted on X, 'This decision sends a clear message: states can take bold action to protect their communities from gun violence. Marylanders shouldn't have to live in fear of weapons of war on our streets.' He also expressed his commitment to supporting 'common-sense gun laws that save lives and uphold our Constitution' in the future. Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, also voiced support for the Court's decision. 'Maryland passed its ban on military-style assault weapons after the Sandy Hook massacre,' he posted on X. 'SCOTUS should continue to allow lifesaving laws like Maryland's to remain in place.' Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, the defendant in Snope v. Brown, said in a statement that the Supreme Court's case rejection means the state's ban 'that prevents senseless and preventable deaths' will remain in effect. 'Our Office will continue to advocate for gun safety laws at the General Assembly and will defend Maryland's common-sense gun reforms in court. We will do whatever we can to protect Marylanders from this horrific violence,' the statement said. ________
Newsweek
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Clarence Thomas Wants Supreme Court to Decide Issue It's Avoided for Decade
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Justice Clarence Thomas broke from the Supreme Court's denial to hear a case about whether government bans of AR-15s are allowed under the Second Amendment, arguing that the Court has avoided the decision "for a full decade." "I would not wait to decide whether the government can ban the most popular rifle in America," Thomas wrote in the dissent published Monday. "That question is of critical importance to tens of millions of law-abiding AR–15 owners throughout the country." Why It Matters The Court decided not to hear David Snope, et al. v. Anthony G. Brown, in his official capacity as Attorney General of Maryland, et al. Maryland prohibits ownership of AR-15s, and the case challenged whether this ban is permitted under the Second Amendment. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that AR-15s are not "arms" protected by the Second Amendment. Thomas said he would have agreed to hear the case to review this "surprising conclusion." Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch also would have agreed to hear the case, according to the Court's order. What To Know Thomas argued that AR-15s fit the definition of "arms" under the Second Amendment. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas listens to President Donald Trump speak before swearing in Pam Bondi as Attorney General in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas listens to President Donald Trump speak before swearing in Pam Bondi as Attorney General in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington. AP Photo/Evan Vucci "AR–15s appear to fit neatly within that category of protected arms," Thomas wrote. "Tens of millions of Americans own AR–15s, and the 'overwhelming majority' of them 'do so for lawful purposes, including self-defense and target shooting.'" He called the Fourth Circuit's reasoning "dubious at least twice over." Thomas said that the constitutional status of AR-15s is "all the urgent" following a recent Court decision on ghost guns. The Court ruled that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is permitted to regulate some weapon parts kits and unfinished frames or receivers under the Gun Control Act. "On the Court's logic, it seems that ATF could at any time declare AR–15s to be machineguns prohibited by federal law," Thomas wrote. Thomas said this leaves AR-15 owners dependent on the "goodwill" of a federal agency to maintain a right to self-defense. "That is 'no constitutional guarantee at all,'" Thomas said. Justice Brett Kavanaugh also released a statement respecting the denial to hear the case. He called the Fourth Circuit's decision "questionable." "Although the Court today denies certiorari, a denial of certiorari does not mean that the Court agrees with a lower-court decision or that the issue is not worthy of review," Kavanaugh wrote. What People Are Saying Thomas, in a dissent: "I doubt we would sit idly by if lower courts were to so subvert our precedents involving any other constitutional right. Until we are vigilant in enforcing it, the right to bear arms will remain 'a second-class right.'" Kavanaugh, in a statement respecting the denial: "In my view, this Court should and presumably will address the AR–15 issue soon, in the next Term or two." What Happens Next With the Court's denial to hear the case, the Fourth Circuit's decision remains in effect. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
