New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen

The Supreme Court's 2021 Bruen decision requires modern gun laws to align with historical firearm regulation traditions to pass Second Amendment scrutiny. In Wolford v. Lopez, the Court struck down Hawaii's law requiring permission to carry guns on private public-access property, rejecting a Louisiana Black Code law as an analog due to its racist origins.

A federal appeals court ruled New Jersey's ban on semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines unconstitutional under the Second Amendment, expanding a prior lower court decision to cover all semiautomatic rifles. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, citing Supreme Court precedents like Heller and Bruen, concluded New Jersey failed to justify its restrictions as consistent with historical firearm regulation. The National Rifle Association hailed the decision as a 'historic victory' after years of litigation.

The article examines unresolved questions about the Second Amendment, including definitions of 'the people' and 'Arms,' and explores legal limits on firearm possession in sensitive places and by certain individuals. It references key cases like District of Columbia v. Heller and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, highlighting court analyses of restrictions on guns in locations such as parks, bars, and treatment centers.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued California over a 2025 law banning semiautomatic machine gun-convertible pistols, including most Glock and Glock-style handguns. The DOJ argues the ban violates the Second Amendment, citing a Supreme Court decision requiring regulations to align with historical firearm traditions. The law, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, prohibits sales of such firearms, which can be converted into fully automatic weapons using devices like the 'Glock switch.'

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to Cook County’s assault weapons ban, which prohibits possession of firearms like AR-15s. The case, consolidated with a similar challenge from Connecticut, will determine whether the Second and Fourteenth Amendments guarantee the right to own such rifles. The decision follows the 2022 Bruen ruling, which established a framework for evaluating gun laws based on historical tradition of firearm regulation.

The Supreme Court struck down Hawaii's private-property concealed-carry restriction in a 6-3 decision, criticizing the state's use of a Reconstruction-era Black Code to justify the law. Attorney Kevin O'Grady, representing plaintiffs, condemned Hawaii's reliance on the 1865 Louisiana statute, calling it a 'tainted artifact' designed to disarm newly freed Black Americans. The ruling rejected the Black Code as a valid legal precedent under the Second Amendment.

The Supreme Court struck down Hawaii's requirement for licensed gun owners to seek permission to carry firearms on private property open to the public in a 6-3 decision. The ruling criticized Hawaii's use of an 1865 Louisiana Black Code law to justify the policy, calling it a 'tainted artifact' designed to disarm newly freed Black Americans. Attorney Kevin O'Grady, representing plaintiffs, condemned the state's reliance on the historical law as 'disgraceful,' while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argued the Court avoided addressing a key constitutional question.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Hawaii’s law banning gun carrying at public-facing businesses without owner permission is unconstitutional, citing inconsistency with historical firearm regulation traditions. The decision in Wolford v. Lopez reinforces the 2022 Bruen ruling, requiring modern gun laws to align with early American practices, and clarifies that businesses can still prohibit firearms if they explicitly notify customers.

The Supreme Court ruled on June 18 that the federal ban on gun possession for drug users is unconstitutional when applied to occasional marijuana users, requiring the government to prove drug use poses a danger. The unanimous decision in United States v. Hemani emphasized that the Second Amendment limits the government’s power to categorically label groups as dangerous, while allowing the ban to apply if public safety risks are demonstrated.

The Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais narrowed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, limiting protections against racially discriminatory voting systems. This ruling aligns with recent court decisions that have curtailed voting rights, abortion rights, gun regulations, climate policy authority, and established presidential immunity, shifting power toward the judiciary and away from elected branches.