Supreme Court Upholds Federal Ban on Guns for Domestic Abusers

 

npr: The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal ban on gun possession for anyone covered by a domestic violence court order. The vote was 8-to-1.

The decision was the first major gun ruling since 2022 when the high court broke sharply with the way gun laws had previously been handled by the courts; the decision declared for the first time that in order for a gun law to be constitutional, it has to be analogous to a law that existed at the nation’s founding in the late 1700’s.

But on Friday, the court majority seemed to draw that line more flexibly.

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Statement from Attorney General Merrick Garland

“The Supreme Court’s decision today in United States v. Rahimi upholds Congress’s longstanding prohibition on the possession of firearms by people subject to domestic-violence restraining orders. That law protects victims by keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals who pose a threat to their intimate partners and children.

As the Justice Department argued, and as the Court reaffirmed today, that commonsense prohibition is entirely consistent with the Court’s precedent and the text and history of the Second Amendment.

The Justice Department will continue to enforce this important statute, which for nearly 30 years has helped to protect victims and survivors of domestic violence from their abusers. And we will continue to deploy all available resources to support law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and victim advocates to address the pervasive problem of domestic violence.”

Source: U.S. Department of Justice (Office of Public Affairs)

Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul

“Today’s Supreme Court decision reinforces a simple point: common-sense gun safety laws save lives.

“In New York, we have some of the nation’s strongest laws to keep people safe from gun violence and protect survivors. Our nation-leading efforts to expand Red Flag Laws and restrict access to deadly weapons of war are continuing to improve public safety. And in this past year’s Budget, we invested more than $40 million to crack down on abusers like Zackey Rahimi and provide resources for survivors.

“But our work is not over. The Bruen decision, and countless other lawsuits filed in its wake, are a chilling reminder that our gun safety laws are consistently under attack. New York will not stand by, and I’m committed to doing everything in my power to keep New Yorkers safe.”

Source: The Office of the Governor

Photo source: syracuse.com