In early June 2016 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Second Amendment does not grant Americans the right to publicly carry concealed firearms.
The ruling comes after citizens of two southern California counties, who were denied concealed carry permits after they applied for personal defense purposes, filed appeals. The plaintiffs believed the denial infringed upon their Second Amendment rights. California law provides that sheriffs create policies county-by-county for residents of the respective county to establish ‘good cause’ for concealed carry. The court found that concealed carry is not a right protected by the Second Amendment and that states can develop their own means of regulating concealed carry.
When consulting case law references, the Supreme Court found in District of Columbia v. Heller that the right to bear arms for self-defense is a Second Amendment right. It remains to be seen if the recent court ruling will be appealed by the Supreme Court. The 9th Circuit Court’s recent decision comes less than five months before the presidential election, when gun control discussions between presidential candidates are becoming more heated. Just days before the court’s decision, political discussions about national reciprocity made headlines. To stay updated with important court rulings like above, follow our gun trust attorney on Twitter @southerngunlaw and Facebook. If you subscribe to our gun law blog (complete the sign-up form on the right side) you will receive updates as soon as we post them.