Latest news with #RockyMountainGunOwners
New York Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Federal judge approves Colorado's age limit for firearms purchases
A federal judge upheld Colorado's restriction on firearms sales requiring buyers to be 21 or older after Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and two people looking to purchase firearms sued Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. Chief U.S. District Judge Philip A. Brimmer agreed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit's decision that age-based requirements for purchase do not fall under the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms. The 10th Circuit and Brimmer agree that the issue falls under a 'safe harbor' exclusion, placing it outside the scope of the Constitution. The only exceptions to Colorado's firearm purchase age restriction are for those in the U.S. Military and for peace officers. In both cases, the person must be making the purchase while on duty and is 'serving in conformance with the policies' of their respective agency. 'Governor Polis is committed to making Colorado one of the ten safest states, and common-sense laws encourage responsible gun ownership and keep people safe. For decades in Colorado, you had to be 21 to purchase a handgun, per federal law. The requirement to be 21 was expanded to rifles and shotguns with the signing of SB23-169, and Governor Polis is glad to see the court affirm that Colorado's common sense law does not infringe on Second Amendment rights. Governor Polis is confident this law has and will help keep Coloradans and our communities safe,' Polis' Communications Director Conor Cahill said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 3 A federal judge upheld Colorado's restriction on firearms sales requiring buyers to be 21 or older. REUTERS Brimmer acknowledged that Adrian Pineda and Matthew Newkirk — the two individuals under 21 who sued Polis together with Rocky Mountain Gun Owners — are part of 'the people' as written in the Second Amendment. However, he referred to the 10th Circuit's decision, saying it had resolved the case back in 2023, according to Courthouse News Service (CNS). The decision in Colorado comes in contrast to one issued by the Supreme Court in 2022 in which justices determined that New York issued unconstitutional requirements for carrying a concealed weapon in public. Then-President Joe Biden said he was 'deeply disappointed' by the ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. He said that SCOTUS had 'chosen to strike down New York's long-established authority to protect its citizens.' 3 The only exceptions to Colorado's firearm purchase age restriction are for those in the U.S. Military and for peace officers. DmyTo – 'This ruling contradicts both common sense and the Constitution, and should deeply trouble us all,' Biden said in a statement at the time. He went on to reaffirm his commitment to reducing gun violence and making communities safer. 3 The 10th Circuit and Brimmer agree that the issue falls under a 'safe harbor' exclusion, placing it outside the scope of the Constitution. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Brimmer is also going against a decision made by the New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which struck down a federal restriction banning the sale of firearms to anyone below the age of 21. That court held that those aged 18 to 20 are protected under the Second Amendment, according to The Trace, an organization of journalists who report on gun violence in the U.S. 'The federal government has presented scant evidence that eighteen-to-twenty-year-olds' firearm rights during the founding-era were restricted in a similar manner to the contemporary federal handgun purchase ban,' Judge Edith H. Jones wrote in the opinion. Several states, including New York, Massachusetts, California, Florida, Illinois, Delaware and Vermont have raised the age for purchasing firearms, according to the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. While some states have limited the age restrictions to handgun purchases, others have applied the restriction to any kind of firearm.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Federal judge approves Colorado law banning people under 21 from buying a gun
A federal judge upheld Colorado's restriction on firearms sales requiring buyers to be 21 or older after Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and two people looking to purchase firearms sued Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo. Chief U.S. District Judge Philip A. Brimmer agreed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit's decision that age-based requirements for purchase do not fall under the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms. The 10th Circuit and Brimmer agree that the issue falls under a "safe harbor" exclusion, placing it outside the scope of the Constitution. The only exceptions to Colorado's firearm purchase age restriction are for those in the U.S. Military and for peace officers. In both cases, the person must be making the purchase while on duty and is "serving in conformance with the policies" of their respective agency. "Governor Polis is committed to making Colorado one of the ten safest states, and common-sense laws encourage responsible gun ownership and keep people safe. For decades in Colorado, you had to be 21 to purchase a handgun, per federal law. The requirement to be 21 was expanded to rifles and shotguns with the signing of SB23-169, and Governor Polis is glad to see the court affirm that Colorado's common sense law does not infringe on Second Amendment rights. Governor Polis is confident this law has and will help keep Coloradans and our communities safe," Polis' Communications Director Conor Cahill said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Brimmer acknowledged that Adrian Pineda and Matthew Newkirk — the two individuals under 21 who sued Polis together with Rocky Mountain Gun Owners — are part of "the people" as written in the Second Amendment. However, he referred to the 10th Circuit's decision, saying it had resolved the case back in 2023, according to Courthouse News Service (CNS). The decision in Colorado comes in contrast to one issued by the Supreme Court in 2022 in which justices determined that New York issued unconstitutional requirements for carrying a concealed weapon in public. Then-President Joe Biden said he was "deeply disappointed" by the ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. He said that SCOTUS had "chosen to strike down New York's long-established authority to protect its citizens." "This ruling contradicts both common sense and the Constitution, and should deeply trouble us all," Biden said in a statement at the time. He went on to reaffirm his commitment to reducing gun violence and making communities safer. Brimmer is also going against a decision made by the New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which struck down a federal restriction banning the sale of firearms to anyone below the age of 21. That court held that those ages 18 to 20 are protected under the Second Amendment, according to The Trace, an organization of journalists who report on gun violence in the U.S. "The federal government has presented scant evidence that eighteen-to-twenty-year-olds' firearm rights during the founding-era were restricted in a similar manner to the contemporary federal handgun purchase ban," Judge Edith H. Jones wrote in the opinion. Several states, including New York, Massachusetts, California, Florida, Illinois, Delaware and Vermont have raised the age for purchasing firearms, according to the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. While some states have limited the age restrictions to handgun purchases, others have applied the restriction to any kind of firearm.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Judge upholds state of Colorado ban on sale of rifles to those 21 and older
A federal judge has ruled that Colorado's ban on the sale of all firearms to people who are under 21 is not a violation of the Second Amendment. Photo taken rifles for sale at Old Steel Historical Firearms in Littleton, Colorado in 2021. Hyoung Chang/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images The group Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and two other plaintiffs were behind a legal challenge to the state law. They sued Gov. Jared Polis the year the law was passed -- 2023 -- and challenged the law's constitutionality. Philip A. Brimmer, chief district judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, granted a temporary injunction. Federal law already bans people under 21 from purchasing handguns. Colorado's law, SB23-169, extends that age limit to the purchase of rifles and shotguns. Late last year the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled SB23-169 is "a constitutional regulation of the conditions and qualifications for the sale of firearms in Colorado." That decision dissolved the injunction and allowed the law to be enacted. Brimmer's new ruling on Thursday, siding with the governor, closes the case.
