SCOTUS Gun Watch – Week of 4/19/21
At last Friday’s conference, the Supreme Court considered 5 gun cases—3 challenges to the felon prohibitor, 1 public carry case (for the third time), and 1 challenge to a firearm storage law. It was the most Second Amendment challenges the justices have considered all at once since last summer’s postNYSRPA denial of all 10 then-pending cases. In today’s order list, the Court denied review in 4 of the 5 and did not act on other. It denied cert for all the felon prohibitor cases and in the firearm storage law, but declined to act again on Corlett, the challenge to New York’s concealed carry licensing law.
I have no special insight, but my best guess is that Corlett is less likely to get plenary review now that it has been relisted so many times. As veteran Court expert John Elwood helpfully explained here, the chances of full review decrease the more times a case gets relisted. It’s possible some justices are writing a per curiam opinion reversing the Second Circuit without oral argument or briefing—which the Court did after relisting Caetano 10 times(!) after the initial conference. But, unlike Caetano, the issues here are complex and nuanced, and it’s not clear where the Court would find the clear, undisputed error it did in Caetano. More likely, in my opinion, is that one or more justices is writing a dissent from the denial of cert. But that too is a little strange. Less than a year ago, the Supreme Court denied cert in (among other cases), Rogers v. Grewal, that raised almost the same constitutional question as Corlett about how these type of good cause laws cohere with the Second Amendment. Justice Thomas, joined partially by Justice Kavanaugh, already dissented from that denial. One wonders what more there is to say.
Petitions Pending
Case | Ct. Below | Pet. Filed | Implicated Law/Issue | Status |
Fleury v. Massachusetts
(20-1122) |
App. Ct. Mass. | 2-Nov-20 | Challenge to Mass. firearm storage law | Cert Denied |
Holloway v. Barr
(20-782) |
3d Cir. | 3-Dec-20 | As-applied challenge to 922(g)(1) | Cert Denied |
Mai v. United States
(20-819) |
9th Cir. | 9-Dec-20 | As-applied challenge to 922(g)(4) | distributed for 23-Apr-2021 conf. |
Folajtar v. Barr
(20-812) |
3d Cir. | 11-Dec-20 | As-applied challenge to 922(g)(1) | Cert Denied |
New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Corlett
(20-843) |
2d Cir. | 17-Dec-20 | Challenge to New York’s good cause public carry regime | distributed for 16-Apr-2021 conf. |
Flick v. Rosen
(20-902) |
11th Cir. | 29-Dec-20 | As-applied challenge to 922(g)(1) | Cert Denied |
Libertarian Party of Erie County v. Cuomo
(20-1151) |
2d Cir. | 9-Feb-21 | Challenge to New York’s pistol permit regime | response due
25-May-2021 |
Keahey v. Marquis
(20-1298) |
6th Cir. | 16-Mar-21 | Failure to give self-defense instruction | response due 11-June-2021 (Court called for response) |
Russell v. New Jersey
(20-1419) |
N.J. Superior Ct. | 2-Apr-21 | Challenge to New Jersey’s good cause public carry law | response due 10-May-2021 |
Petitions Disposed
Case | Ct. Below | Pet. Filed | Implicated Law/Issue | Status |
Greer v. United States
(19-8709) |
11th Cir. | 8-Jun-2020 | Scope of appellate review for Rehaif errors | Cert Granted |
Caniglia v. Strom
(20-157) |
1st Cir. | 10-Aug-20 | Fourth Amendment challenge to gun removal | Argument held on 24-Mar-2021 |
Hobbs v. United States
(20-171) |
6th Cir. | 13-Aug-20 | Guilty plea under 922(g) without knowledge of disqualifying status
|
Likely being held pending Gary |
United States v. Gary
(20-444) |
4th Cir. | 5-Oct-20 | Guilty plea under 922(g) without being informed that knowledge is an element of the offense
(Govt is petitioner) |
Cert Granted |
Rodriguez v. San Jose
(19-1057) |
9th Cir. | 21-Feb-20 | Warrantless search and seizure of firearms under Fourth Amendment | Cert Denied |
Johnson v. United States
(19-1390) |
4th. Cir. | 12-Jun-20 | Vagueness challenge to the Armed Career Criminal Act’s elements clause | Cert Denied |
Zoie H. v Nebraska
(19-1418) |
Neb. Sup. Ct. | 22-June-20
|
Second and Sixth Amendment challenge to jury-less conviction that can result in gun disqualifer for juveniles | Cert Denied |
Caldara v. City of Boulder
(20-416) |
10th Cir. | 24-Sep-20 | Federal court abstention over Second Amendment claims being adjudicated in state court | Cert Denied |
Torres v. United States
(20-5579) |
9th Cir. | 27-Aug-20 | As-applied challenge to 922(g)(1) | Cert Denied |
E.H. v. Florida Dept. Ag. (Pro se)
(20-627) |
Fla. Ct. App. | 9-Oct-20 | Challenge to firearm license denial based on prior mental health commitment | Cert Denied |
Porter v. United States
(20-522) |
6th Cir. | 16-Oct-20 | Challenge to ACCA enhancement | Cert Denied |
McGinnis v. United States
(20-6046) |
5th Cir. | 13-Oct-20 | As-applied challenge to 922(g)(8) | Cert Denied |
Yoo v. United States
(20-550) |
5th Cir. | 21-Oct-20 | Challenge to conviction based on misstatements on Form 4473 (req’d for purchase at a gun dealer) | Cert Denied |
Knowles v. Hart
(20-840) |
11th Cir. | 17-Dec-20 | Fourth Amendment challenge to use of deadly force against person with holstered weapon | Cert Denied |