On Tuesday, an organization that supports the Second Amendment filed a petition with a federal judge, asking them to overturn a rule in the state of New York.
This rule prohibits the carrying of weapons in some “sensitive sites,” such as sports arenas, clinics, and Times Square in Manhattan.
Conceal Carry
The request was made as part of a lawsuit that Gun Owners of America filed against a statute established this summer in New York in response to a landmark Supreme Court ruling that expanded the scope of the Second Amendment.
#THREAD In July, during the special legislative session, I debated the outrageously half-baked concealed carry licensing proposal which prohibits concealed carry in a #TimesSquare “restricted” zone determined by the @NYCCouncil.
Here’s a first look 👇 pic.twitter.com/hsGROSYRsh
— Mike Reilly (@TeamReillyNY) August 21, 2022
In a ruling that was handed down at the end of June by a vote count of 6-3, the court determined the Constitution usually guarantees the right to carry a firearm in the open for the purpose of self-defense.
At the same time, the court stated restrictions on the possession of firearms could be placed on specific “sensitive sites,” although it did not provide a clear definition for this phrase.
As a direct reaction to the decision made by the Supreme Court, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D), on July 1, agreed to sign a law that makes it illegal to carry a concealed firearm in airports, places of worship, Times Square, and other potentially volatile areas.
This action has already been met with an immediate legal challenge.
A number of plaintiffs, including Gun Owners of America, have petitioned a federal judge in Syracuse to halt the implementation of the new legislation in New York before it goes into effect on September 1.
An attorney for the gun rights group testified on Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby that the Supreme Court intended the “sensitive location” distinction to apply only to a “narrow group of areas.”
This took place during a hearing in the case that was held on Tuesday.
NEW: A Second Amendment advocacy group on Tuesday asked a federal judge to block a New York state law that bans the carry of firearms in certain “sensitive locations” such as stadiums, hospitals and Manhattan’s Times Square. @highbrow_nobrow https://t.co/w0fyK7on7R
— Ale (@aliasvaughn) August 23, 2022
Times Square
Attorney Stephen Stamboulieh noted some of the locations, such as schools and government buildings, may fall under this category, but they are included in the list of locations.
He made a direct reference to Times Square by stating the area can’t be considered a sensitive spot. Times Square is sensitive at certain times. However, this is not always the case.
James Thompson, an attorney from the New York State Attorney General’s Office, argued in favor of the law by saying the New York Concealed Carry Improvement Act is “deeply established in American history.”
This was one of the arguments that Thompson made to defend the statute.
According to what he had to say, the most recent decision made by the Supreme Court in the case of New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen in June acknowledged “protecting individuals from guns in dangerous areas” is “presumptively permissible.”
In the case known as Antonyuk v. Bruen, a decision regarding the plaintiff’s demand for a preliminary injunction against the New York statute is scheduled to be handed down very soon.
This article appeared in NewsHouse and has been published here with permission.
