{"id":2332280,"date":"2024-08-28T04:51:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T08:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/courts-issue-conflicting-gun-control-rulings-despite-supreme-court-guidance-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-28T04:57:17","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T08:57:17","slug":"courts-issue-conflicting-gun-control-rulings-despite-supreme-court-guidance-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/courts-issue-conflicting-gun-control-rulings-despite-supreme-court-guidance-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Courts issue conflicting gun control rulings despite Supreme Court guidance &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcourts-issue-conflicting-gun-control-rulings-despite-supreme-court-guidance-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2332280&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Federal courts \u200din the United States \u2063are \u2064producing conflicting rulings regarding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/another-wave-of-portland-police-quit-amid-massive-spike-in-shootings-and-stabbings-fire-dept-responding-to-10-homeless-tent-fires-a-day\/\" title=\"Another Wave Of Portland Police Quit Amid Massive Spike In Shootings And Stabbings; Fire Dept. Responding To 10+ Homeless Tent Fires A Day\">gun control laws<\/a>, even in\u200b light\u200b of recent Supreme Court decisions \u2063intended to clarify Second Amendment rights. Despite the Supreme Court&#8217;s 2022 ruling in **New\u200d York State Rifle\u2063 &#038; Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen**, which established that gun regulations should align with historical firearms laws,\u200c lower\u2064 courts are struggling to apply this guidance consistently. A notable \u2064case from Kansas \u200ddismissed charges \u2063against a defendant for possessing\u2063 a machinegun, while other federal appeals courts \u200bupheld restrictions \u2064on gun ownership\u200b for felons and another on handgun licensing in Maryland.<\/p>\n<p>Experts suggest that these divergent rulings highlight the\u2062 ongoing confusion following the **Rahimi v.\u200d U.S.** decision and the evolving interpretation of the historical context \u2062of the Second Amendment. Judges are interpreting past precedents differently, leading to the current legal inconsistency. The rulings reflect a \u200bbroader debate among courts, with future\u2064 appeals likely to challenge these decisions, particularly in light \u200bof potential appeals to\u200c circuits that may lean \u2063differently politically. The Supreme Court&#8217;s approach to handling Second Amendment cases could further influence this landscape, especially as challenges to state assault weapons \u2062bans emerge.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Courts issue conflicting gun control rulings despite Supreme Court guidance<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1725377\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Federal courts across the country are handing back disparate rulings over federal and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/missouri-blocks-enforcement-of-federal-gun-control-laws-that-violate-second-amendment-rights-as-biden-pursues-gun-agenda\/\" title=\"Missouri Blocks Enforcement Of Federal Gun Control Laws That Violate Second Amendment Rights As Biden Pursues Gun Agenda\">state gun laws<\/a> despite nearly back-to-back <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/second-amendment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Second Amendment<\/a> cases at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Supreme Court<\/a> that sought to clarify the scope of the right to bear arms.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Although the Supreme Court&rsquo;s landmark 2022 decision in <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3054847\/supreme-court-gun-precedent-upheld-despite-thomas-dissent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen<\/a><\/em>  held that gun regulations must align with the nation&rsquo;s &ldquo;history and tradition&rdquo; of firearms laws and a separate case this summer called <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3030361\/supreme-court-upholds-prohibitions-guns-domestic-violence-offenders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Rahimi v. U.S.\">Rahimi v. U.S.<\/a> <\/em>upheld firearm prohibitions for domestic violence offenders, lower federal courts are still struggling to achieve consistency, as shown by three major decisions last week alone.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FILE &ndash; Three variations of the AR-15 are displayed at the California Department of Justice in Sacramento, California. (AP Photo\/Rich Pedroncelli, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>First, a federal judge in Kansas appointed by former President Donald Trump caught national attention on Aug. 21 after he dismissed a case for a defendant facing felony charges for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.ksd.146873\/gov.uscourts.ksd.146873.35.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">possessing a machinegun<\/a>. Later in the week, two federal appeals courts swung the opposite direction to uphold other restrictions on firearms, with one decision upholding bans on felons possessing guns and a separate appellate court agreeing to uphold a Maryland handgun licensing law.<\/p>\n<p>Andrew Willinger, executive director of the Center for Firearms Law at Duke Law School, told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>the pattern of divergent Second Amendment rulings does not come as a surprise.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It does not seem like <em>Rahimi <\/em>has clarified a whole lot,&rdquo; Willinger said.<\/p>\n<p>Willinger said the lack of congruence among lower courts could be due in part to the infancy of the <em>Rahimi <\/em>precedent, which was decided on June 21, noting some courts are still digesting its meaning and the extent that it affected the history and tradition test set in <em>Bruen<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve seen as well that these decisions were drafted, or at least they were early-stage drafts, before <em>Rahimi<\/em>, and then the judges kind of went back and maybe added or rewrote portions or what have you. But I think we&rsquo;re seeing, as you might expect, judges kind of grasping on to different pieces of <em>Rahimi<\/em>,&rdquo; Willinger added.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. District Judge John W. Broomes, the author of the machine-gun decision in Kansas, wrote that the government had not &ldquo;met its burden under&nbsp;<em>Bruen<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Rahimi<\/em>&nbsp;to demonstrate through historical analogs that regulation of the weapons at issue in this case are consistent with the nation&rsquo;s history of firearms regulation.&rdquo; He ruled the federal ban was unconstitutional as applied to one criminal defendant, which leaves the federal machinegun ban in place.<\/p>\n<p>Jacob Charles, an associate law professor at Pepperdine University who tracks Second Amendment cases, said the Kansas ruling is a direct fallout from the <em>Bruen<\/em> decision.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It gives lower court judges the ability to pick and choose the historical record in a way that they think the Second Amendment should be read,&rdquo; Charles <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/gun-rights-group-urges-supreme-court-to-hear-maryland-awb-challenge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Although the judge&rsquo;s ruling faced pushback from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cnn-is-shocked-to-learn-gun-owners-arent-just-old-white-men\/\" title=\"CNN Is Shocked To Learn Gun Owners Aren\u2019t Just Old, White Men\">gun control groups<\/a>, firearms law experts such as Charles suggested the ruling may not hold up on appeal for various reasons, notwithstanding the fact that the government could appeal to the liberal-leaning U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.<\/p>\n<p>Willinger agreed, noting, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t see it having much of an impact in terms of other courts adopting that same view.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Before <em>Bruen, <\/em>the last time the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-other-judicial-outrage-must-we-endure-dems-call-for-expanding-scotus-after-string-of-losses\/\" title=\"\u2018What Other Judicial Outrage Must We Endure?\u2019: Dems Call For Expanding SCOTUS After String Of Losses\">high court issued<\/a> a significant Second Amendment decision was the 2010 <em>McDonald v. City of Chicago <\/em>ruling that found the right to bear arms applied to the states, constraining the extent local governments can regulate firearms. Before that, it was the landmark <em>Heller v. D.C. <\/em>case in 2007.<\/p>\n<p>But the bulk of Second Amendment activist gripes in recent years have largely surrounded two laws, the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA) and the 1986 Firearms Owners Protection Act, which both functionally banned civilians from owning automatic weapons.<\/p>\n<p>Pro-gun control groups such as the Constitutional Accountability Center were inflamed this summer after the Supreme Court found the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ban on bump stocks to be unconstitutional in a case known as <em>Garland v. Cargill<\/em>, arguing the high court &ldquo;rejected Congress&rsquo;s definition of the term &lsquo;machinegun.&#8217;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Notably, constitutional Second Amendment lawsuits are vastly different areas of law from ATF rule challenges, which are more closely tied to matters of administrative law. However, the steady rise of Second Amendment disputes and contests against ATF rules at the Supreme Court come at a time when the justices have taken a sharper aim at executive agency powers. For example, the overturning this year of the 1984 <em>Chevron <\/em>deference puts pressure on agencies to show their rules are covered under statutes passed by Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Willinger noted that Broomes&rsquo;s &ldquo;decision doesn&rsquo;t mention <em>Cargill<\/em> at all, but actually reading it sort of makes me wonder whether there&rsquo;s some influence that that the decision in <em>Cargill<\/em> is having in terms of other aspects of the National Firearms Act.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Duke Law expert said he believes it is entirely plausible for the Supreme Court to wade back into another constitutional Second Amendment fight sooner than later, noting the prominence of challenges to state &ldquo;assault weapons&rdquo; bans, such as one in Maryland, could require more clarity from the highest court.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court recently dodged weighing in on an AR-15-style gun and large-capacity magazines ban out of Illinois in July, largely because the case was underdeveloped in lower court proceedings. But Willinger said a similar ban in Maryland, which has been upheld at the 4th Circuit after a 10-5 ruling on the merits, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3129733\/pro-gun-group-seeks-supreme-court-review-maryland-assault-weapons-ban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>could be open to high court review<\/a> at some point given that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/expert-warns-biden-has-launched-four-prong-attack-against-second-amendment-advises-how-to-respond\/\" title=\"Expert Warns Biden Has Launched \u2018Four-Prong Attack Against\u2019 Second Amendment, Advises How To Respond\">pro-gun activists<\/a> have sought review by the justices.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, the Supreme Court is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3130058\/gop-led-states-ask-supreme-court-trounce-atf-ghost-gun-rule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>poised to once again wade into<\/a> an ATF dispute this fall over a federal &ldquo;Frame or Receiver&rdquo; rule, which expanded the definition of a &ldquo;firearm&rdquo; to include weapon parts kits that can be assembled into functional firearms, as well as partially complete or disassembled frames or receivers. The rule has been rebuked by pro-gun activists as a measure that hamstrings firearms manufacturers.<\/p>\n<p>The nine justices will hear arguments in that case,&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/471197\/biden-loses-ghost-gun-case-atf-ban-unlawful\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Garland v. VanDerStok<\/a><\/em>,&nbsp;on Oct. 8, one of the first arguments they will hear when their new term begins this fall.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1725377\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1725377\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Courts are delivering inconsistent rulings on gun control despite guidance from the Supreme Court. Federal courts nationwide are producing varied decisions regarding federal and state gun laws, even after significant Second Amendment cases were addressed by the Supreme Court. The 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen established that gun regulations must reflect the historical context of firearms laws in the U.S., while a separate case this summer, Rahimi v. U.S., upheld restrictions on firearm access for domestic violence offenders. However, lower federal courts continue to struggle with consistency, as evidenced by three major rulings just last week.<\/p>\n<p>In one notable case, a federal judge in Kansas appointed by former President Trump gained attention for dismissing charges against a defendant accused of possessing a machinegun on August 21. In contrast, two federal appeals courts later upheld other firearm restrictions: one confirmed bans on felons owning guns and another supported Maryland&#8217;s handgun licensing law.<\/p>\n<p>Andrew Willinger from Duke Law School remarked that the ongoing divergence in Second Amendment rulings is not surprising and noted that Rahimi has not significantly clarified matters for lower courts yet. He suggested that some judges may still be interpreting its implications while grappling with how it fits into Bruen&#8217;s historical context test.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. District Judge John W. Broomes stated that the government failed to demonstrate through historical examples that regulating machineguns aligns with America&#8217;s history of firearms regulation; thus he deemed the federal ban unconstitutional for this specific defendant while leaving it intact overall.<\/p>\n<p>Jacob Charles from Pepperdine University indicated that Broomes&#8217; ruling stems directly from Bruen and allows judges to selectively interpret historical records regarding Second Amendment rights. Although there was pushback against this ruling from gun control advocates, experts like Charles believe it may not withstand an appeal.<\/p>\n<p>Historically significant Supreme Court decisions related to the Second Amendment include McDonald v. City of Chicago (2010), which affirmed individual rights at state levels concerning firearms regulation, and Heller v. D.C (2007). Recent frustrations among pro-gun control groups have arisen over various laws restricting automatic weapon ownership dating back decades.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court recently ruled against an ATF ban on bump stocks in Garland v Cargill\u2014an outcome criticized by pro-gun control organizations who felt it undermined Congress\u2019s definition of &#8220;machinegun.&#8221; While constitutional challenges differ significantly from administrative law disputes involving ATF rules, there is increasing scrutiny over executive agency powers amid rising Second Amendment cases before the court.<\/p>\n<p>Willinger speculated about potential influences between recent rulings like Broomes\u2019 decision and prior cases such as Cargill concerning aspects of existing firearm legislation like NFA regulations.<\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, Willinger believes it&#8217;s likely for further constitutional challenges related to state &#8220;assault weapons&#8221; bans\u2014like Maryland&#8217;s\u2014to arise soon requiring clarification from higher courts since similar bans have already been upheld at lower levels but could attract Supreme Court review due to ongoing advocacy efforts by pro-gun activists seeking judicial intervention.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, this fall will see another important case involving an ATF rule expanding definitions around what constitutes a &#8220;firearm,&#8221; which has drawn criticism as restrictive towards manufacturers; arguments will commence on October 8 during their new term beginning this season<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2332281,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AR-15-style-rifle-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[39491,16596,39490,32275],"class_list":["post-2332280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-firearms-legislation","tag-gun-control","tag-legal-rulings","tag-supreme-court"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AR-15-style-rifle-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2332280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2332280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2332280\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2332281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2332280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2332280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2332280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}