Supreme Court Dismisses NRA Affiliate Court Case
By Penny Okamoto, Executive Director of Ceasefire Oregon
In a major victory for gun violence prevention, the United States Supreme Court has dismissed a major case from New York because the law in question has been rescinded. Although the decision to dismiss the case was unsigned, it is believed that Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. agreed with the majority along with Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
The lawsuit, brought by the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association, involves now-rescinded restrictions unique to New York City about whether citizens who have a license to keep a gun in their homes may transport them to firing ranges outside the city or to a second home in the state.
The decision to dismiss this case denies the Supreme Court conservatives an opportunity to make rulings regarding whether there is a right to carry a gun outside the home.
The Supreme Court ruled in McDonald in 2010 that cities and states may not abridge “the right to possess a handgun in the home for the purpose of self-defense.” McDonald did not specifically address the constitutionality of possessing handguns outside of the home.
Ceasefire Oregon applauds this decision. We are encouraged that common sense has prevailed in this case.