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SCOTUS Gun Watch - Week of 11/27/23

  • Date:
  • November 27, 2023

There's not much activity to report on this week due to the holiday.  The Range petition, which was distributed for consideration at the November 17 conference, appears to still be under review and the Court is not expected to issue an orders list this morning. 

In Daniels (an as-applied challenge to the federal ban on gun possession by unlawful users of controlled substances), the respondent filed his brief in opposition on November 20.  Daniels asks the Court to reject the government's petition for review, arguing against an approach where history and tradition are consulted in the first instance to determine broader "principles" and then some level of deference is accorded to a modern legislature's judgment that a category of persons falls within that historically-supported principle—the same argument the Solicitor General urged at the Rahimi argument.  Daniels labels this the  "principle argument," asserts the approach is contrary to Bruen because it would "create an exception that swallows the rule," and quotes some of Justice Jackson's queries during the Rahimi argument.  Other potential analogues, Daniels says, are not relevantly similar because they "disarmed people only while they were actually under the influence of alcohol."  Daniels appears on track to be distributed for the Court's final conference of the calendar year on December 8.  

Petitions Granted and Pending Argument

Case

Ct. Below

Pet. Filed

Implicated Law/Issue

Status

United States

v.

Rahimi

(22-915)

5th Cir.

17-Mar-2023

Facial challenge to § 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8) – which prohibits those subject to certain domestic-violence restraining orders from possessing firearms during the duration of the order – under the Second Amendment.

Argued

The National Rifle Association of America 

v.

Vullo

(22-842)

2d Cir. 

7-Feb-2023

First Amendment challenge by the NRA to state government guidance and press urging banks and insurance companies to consider the reputational risks of doing business with gun-rights organizations. 

Cert granted 3-Nov-2023

Garland

v. 

Cargill

(22-976)

5th Cir. 

6-Apr-2023

Whether a bump stock device constitutes a "machinegun" as defined by federal legislation, and whether ATF acted outside of its statutory authorization in subjecting bump stocks to heightened regulation under the NFA.

Cert granted 3-Nov-2023

Petitions Pending

Case

Ct. Below

Pet. Filed

Implicated Law/Issue

Status

Caulkins

v.

Pritzker

(23-510)

Illinois Supreme Ct.

9-Nov-2023

 

Response due 14-Dec-2023

United States 

v. 

Perez-Gallan

(23-455)

5th Cir. 

31-Oct-2023

Facial challenge to § 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8) – which prohibits those subject to certain domestic-violence restraining orders from possessing firearms during the duration of the order – under the Second Amendment.

Response due 30-Nov-2023

United States

v.

Daniels

(23-376)

5th Cir.

5-Oct-2023

As-applied challenge to § 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(3) – which prohibits those who are "unlawful user[s] of or addicted to any controlled substance" from possessing firearms – under the Second Amendment.

Response filed 20-Nov-2023

Garland

v. 

Range

(23-274)

3d Cir.

5-Oct-2023

As-applied challenge to § 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1) – which prohibits those convicted of felony offenses from possessing firearms – under the Second Amendment.

Distributed for conference 17-Nov-2023

Hardin

v.

Garland, ATF, et al. 

(23-62)

6th Cir. 

21-July-2023

Whether a bump stock device constitutes a "machinegun" as defined by federal legislation, and whether ATF acted outside of its statutory authorization in subjecting bump stocks to heightened regulation under the NFA.

Distributed for conference 3-Nov-2023

Guedes 

v.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

(22-1222)

D.C. Cir. 

14-June-2023

Whether a bump stock device constitutes a "machinegun" as defined by federal legislation, and whether ATF acted outside of its statutory authorization in subjecting bump stocks to heightened regulation under the NFA.

Distributed for conference 3-Nov-2023


Petitions Disposed

Case

Ct. Below

Pet. Filed

Implicated Law/Issue

Status

Kyung Chang Industry USA, Inc.

v. 

Eighth Judicial District Court of Nevada, et al.

(22-1206)

Nevada Supreme Court

9-June-2023

Request for interlocutory relief in case involving whether a magazine is a "component part of a firearm" under PLCAA. 

Cert Denied 2-Oct-2023

Garland 

v. 

Vanderstok

(23A82)

5th Cir. 

27-July-2023

Application for stay of district court judgment invalidating ATF "ghost gun" rule while appeal to the Fifth Circuit is pending.

Stay granted 8-Aug-2023

Seekins

v. 

United States

(22-6853)

5th Cir.

21-Feb-2023

As-applied commerce clause challenge to 922(g)(1). 

Denied 26-June-2023

Lora

v. 

United States

(22-49)

2d Cir. 

15-July-2022

Whether 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(D)(ii) requires consecutive sentences be imposed for a defendant convicted and sentenced under 924(j).

Decided 16-June 2023

Bevis

v. 

City of Naperville

(22A948 - emergency application)

7th Cir.

26-Apr-2023

Emergency application for injunction of Illinois assault weapons and LCM ban pending appeal of district court order upholding the law. 

Denied 17-May-2023

Gazzola

v.

Hochul

(22-622)

2d Cir.

4-Jan-2023

Second Amendment, Fifth Amendment, and vagueness challenge by New York firearms dealers to state regulations on the commercial sale of firearms.

Cert Denied 24-Apr-2023

Doe

v.

United States

(22-806)

1st Cir.

17-Feb-2023

Whether the Massachusetts state crime of straight assault becomes a violent felony that satisfies the ACCA's force requirement because it was committed with a dangerous weapon.

Cert Denied 27-Mar 2023

Beemer 

v.

Whitmer

(22-586)

6th Cir.

21-Dec-2022

Mootness of challenge to Michigan COVID-19 restrictions, including Second Amendment challenge to order closing gun stores

Cert Denied 27-Feb-2023

Gazzola 

v.

Hochul 

(22A591 - emergency application)

2d Cir.

29-Dec-2022

Application to reverse district court order denying preliminary injunction and enter administrative stay (NY commercial gun regulations)

Denied 18-Jan-2023

Greco 

v. 

Platkin

(22-478)

3d Cir. 

13-May-2022

Challenge to NJ extreme-risk-protection law under Fourth Amendment / Younger abstention 

Cert Denied 17-Jan-2023

Antonyuk

v.

Nigrelli

(22A557 - emergency application

2d Cir. 

21-Dec-2022

Application to lift stay of district court preliminary injunction pending appeal (NY post-Bruen gun law)

Denied 11-Jan-2023; Justice Alito issued a separate statement (joined by Justice Thomas)

Baldea

v.

City of New York License Division of the NYPD

(21-1495)

NY App. Ct.

10-May-2022

Challenge to NYC gun license denial

Cert Denied 5-Dec-2022

McCutchen, et al.; The Modern Sportsman, et al.

v.

United States

(22-25)

Fed Cir.

8-July-2022

Challenge to ATF bump stock ban under 5th Amendment takings clause

Cert Denied 14-Nov-2022

Mashour Howling

v. 

State of Maryland

Md. Ct. App.

13-Oct-2022

Challenge to Maryland jury instructions for possessing firearm after conviction for a crime of violence

Cert Denied 14-Nov-2022

Torcivia

v.

Suffolk County

(21-1522)

2d Cir.

31-May-2022

Challenge to warrantless home entry to seize firearms

Cert Denied 14-Nov-2022

Keith L. Carnes

v.

United States

(22-76)

8th Cir.

26-July-2022

As-applied challenge to 922(g)(3) and definition of "unlawful user of . . . any controlled substance"

Cert Denied 31-Oct-2022

Whitaker

v.

District of Columbia Concealed Pistol Licensing Review Board

(21-1545)

D.C. Ct. App.

7-Jun-2022

Challenge to DC gun license revocation standard

Cert Denied 3-Oct-2022

Gun Owners of America v. Garland

(21-1215)

6th Cir.

3-Mar-2022

Challenge to the bump stock ban

Cert Denied 3-Oct-2022

Morin v. Lyver

(21-1160)

1st Cir.

13-Dec-2022

Challenge to Massachusetts’ bar on handgun purchases for those with nonviolent misdemeanors

Granted, vacated and remanded for further consideration in light of Bruen 3-Oct-2022

Aposhian v. Garland

(21-159)

10th Cir.

2-Aug-2021

Challenge to agency deference re the bump stock ban

Cert Denied 3-Oct-2022

Duncan v. Bonta

(21-1194)

9th Cir.

28-Feb-2022

Challenge to California ban on magazines holding 10 rounds or more

Granted, vacated and remanded for further consideration in light of Bruen 30-June 2022

Bianchi v. Frosh

(21-902)

4th Cir.

16-Dec-2021

Challenge to Maryland’s assault weapons ban and to the methodology used for 2A questions

Granted, vacated and remanded for further consideration in light of Bruen 30-June 2022

Young v. Hawaii

(20-1639)

9th Cir.

11-May-21

Challenge to Hawaii’s restrictive open carry law

Granted, vacated and remanded for further consideration in light of Bruen 30-June 2022

Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs v. Bruck

(20-1507)

3d Cir.

26-Apr-21

Challenge to New Jersey ban on magazines holding 10 rounds or more

Granted, vacated and remanded for further consideration in light of Bruen 30-June 2022

New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen

(20-843)

2d Cir.

17-Dec-20

Challenge to New York’s good cause public carry regime

Decided 23-June-2022