In the coming months, the U.S. Supreme Court will deliver judgment on a slew of gun rights cases. These cases will determine the extent of gun liberty for the American people.
But given the court’s conservative leanings in the past few years, gun control activists are worried about what decisions the court is likely to make.
A Conservative Supreme Court
It is no secret that the composition of any court influences the kind of decision it makes. For this reason, Democrats and Republicans have jostled to swing the majority of Supreme Court judges to their side.
At the moment, the conservatives have the upper hand as the majority of Supreme Court judges are Republican-appointed. Unfortunately, this isn’t good news for gun control campaigners.
A Valid Cause for Concern
Already, several gun-related decisions have proceeded from the conservative majority court. Most of these decisions, which border on gun restrictions, have swung in the direction of gun rights groups who are fighting for increased access to firearms.
It is no surprise that with the court expected to deliberate upon a good number of pending cases, gun control activists aren’t feeling very optimistic.
There Have Been Several Surprising Decisions
Recently, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of gun control. Petitioners presented a law that bans domestic abusers from owning firearms. They prayed the court to rule that the law was unconstitutional.
However, to the joy of gun control activists, the court accepted the petitioners’ request and upheld the law. Yet, even with decisions such as this, liberals are careful not to raise their hopes for future cases.
Some of the Crucial Cases Ahead
Regardless of the recent victory for gun control activists in the Supreme Court, there are several cases ahead that could either advance or roll back decades of gun restriction efforts.
Given the court’s conservative majority, it could resume its tradition of pulling down gun restrictions, a habit that began in 2022. Such eventuality, liberals believe, will put the society in great harm.
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A Supreme Court Pro-Gun Rights Ruling
In 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Second Amendment supporters in a crucial case regarding gun restrictions. The case was the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen.
The court ruled that any firearms restriction based on a new understanding of what a firearm is is null and void. The court decided that the traditional definition of “firearms” remains valid.
United States v. Rahimi
After the decision above, gun rights advocates received the courage to challenge more firearms restrictions. One of these was the recent United States v. Rahimi case, which bordered on domestic abusers’ rights to own guns.
It was in this case that the Supreme Court shocked Second Amendment agitators. The court decided to uphold the ban on firearms possession by confirmed domestic abusers.
An Upcoming Case
One of the cases still pending in the Supreme Court relates to the rights of nonviolent felons to own guns, the outcome of which gun rights activists aren’t very optimistic about.
The suit is challenging a federal law that says these categories of felons aren’t qualified to bear arms. Gun rights advocates believe that this law robs them of their constitutional rights.
A Popular Example
Second Amendment activists have cited a particular case to bolster their argument against this federal law. In August 1995, Bryan Range was found guilty of one charge: obtaining food stamp assistance with a false statement.
At the time, Range earned $300 weekly. He understated his income and was able to obtain $2,458 in food stamps.
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A Controversial Lifelong Penalty
As a penalty for his action, the court ordered that he pay a $100 fine, $288 in court costs, and three years of probation. After fulfilling these demands of justice, Bryan was free to go.
However, he didn’t realize that by federal law, he had lost the right to bear arms. To the joy of gun rights activists, the Appeals Court already declared this law unconstitutional in 2023.
The Patrick Daniels Case
Yet another case waiting in line for consideration relates to illegal drug users. Should they be allowed to bear arms? A law that bans them from having guns is being challenged in the Apex court.
The case originated from a 2022 situation where the Police stopped a man in Mississippi. The man, Patrick Daniels, had marijuana as well as two loaded guns. Gun rights activists believe that people like Daniels should own guns.
The Hunter Biden Connection
Besides gun rights activists, one person who would be looking forward to the Supreme Court’s verdict is Hunter Biden. The President’s son has been entangled in a legal net similar to that of Patrick Daniels’.
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Patrick Daniels and invalidates the law that hinders drug users from handling arms, this could spur Hunter Biden to appeal his conviction and attain freedom.
The Fierce Gun Rights Battle
From the look of things, there seems to be no end in sight for the controversies concerning gun rights and gun control. These issues have divided the country over the years, with Democrats and Republicans seeking to gain the upper hand at the slightest chance.
But for now, the Supreme Court’s decision is the most influential intervention on the matter, maybe until its conservative majority is reversed.
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