Federal Judge Rejects New York Gun Law Challenge

Federal Judge Rejects New York Gun Law Challenge
September 14, 2011 by Personal Liberty News Desk
A Federal judge in New York has upheld the State’s law concerning an individual having to show a necessity for self-protection in order to obtain a license to carry a handgun, The Associated Press reported.

District Judge Cathy Seibel ruled against the challenge to the State law because of an alleged important government interest in preventing crime. While leaders on the left applauded the ruling, Alan Gura, the attorney for the plaintiff, noted that an appeal would be filed, according to the news outlet.

“The question here is whether the government gets to regulate a constitutional right or completely abolish it,” Gura said.

The five plaintiffs from Westchester County brought the suit in an effort to freeze the “proper cause” element in the permit-application process, something that they argued was a direct violation of their 2nd Amendment rights, Reuters reported.

Gura noted that they might take the case as high as the Supreme Court, as the plaintiffs argued that the threat of significant random violence is all too prevalent in New York City, reported the AP.