In a significant victory for Second Amendment rights and civil liberties, a federal judge issued a ruling on Tuesday declaring that New York City’s firearm regulations violated both the Second and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
Joseph Srour applied for a permit to possess rifles and shotguns in his home in 2018, followed by an application for a handgun license for home possession in 2019. Both applications were rejected on the grounds of past arrests, a problematic driving record, and alleged false statements, as detailed in the court documents.
Judge John P. Cronan filed the ruling on Tuesday night, arguing the city law violated the Constitution's 2nd and 14th amendments.https://t.co/UkKJQ5ZWwg
— Gothamist (@Gothamist) October 25, 2023
Judge John P. Cronan, in a 48-page decision, specifically criticized the city for granting broad discretion to local officials when denying gun permits. This development is of significant importance in the ongoing struggle for gun rights and may have implications across the nation.
The city’s regulations were at best unclear and at worst authoritarian, granting city officials nearly unchecked authority to infringe upon an individual’s constitutional right to bear arms. Judge Cronan pointed to provisions that allowed officials to assess an applicant’s “good moral character” and decide whether “good cause exists for the denial” of gun permits as proof of this excessive overreach.
This isn’t the first time a New York gun law has been struck down. In June, the Supreme Court overturned New York’s strict concealed carry regulations and upheld the right of law-abiding individuals to carry a loaded firearm in public without having to demonstrate a specific need.
