|
|
St. Vincent: Pharmacist acquitted on self-defense grounds
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Magistrate John Ballah has dismissed all criminal charges against Esworth Lewis, the proprietor of Roy’s Pharmacy, Arnos Vale, following a confrontation at a bar in Calder that left one man with gunshot wounds. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to disprove that Lewis acted in lawful self-defense when he discharged his firearm.
The incident, which occurred on the night of October 10, 2025, began as a disagreement over space on a public road. Mr. Lewis was driving behind a BMW operated by Omario Pereira. After a dispute regarding the manner in which the BMW stopped and Lewis’s attempt to pass, both vehicles ended up near a bar where a physical altercation developed. |
CA: LASD Settles Concealed Carry Lawsuit With DOJ
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
"The Justice Department supports our law enforcement partners," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, said in a statement Thursday. "The sheriff acknowledged the problem and devoted substantial additional resources, including new processing software and additional personnel, to cutting waiting times dramatically. We applaud their efforts and are happy to be able to bring this litigation to a successful conclusion!"
The DOJ called the settlement "a huge win for the residents of Los Angeles County and for the Second Amendment." |
The New York Times’s ‘right to kill’ story gets the Second Amendment backward
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
About halfway into a chilling New York Times feature detailing how the “right to kill is growing” in the United States, investigative reporter and three-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Mike McIntire drops a popular myth. The Constitution’s text, he contends, “says nothing explicitly about an individual right to have a gun for everyday self-defense. Locating that right in the Constitution became the grand project of the modern gun lobby.”
This claim is completely backward. |
TX: Longstanding limits on certain firearms, silencers lifted in Texas after judge’s order takes effect
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Nearly century-old federal restrictions on certain short-barrel firearms and silencers were lifted Thursday in several states, including Texas, after the Trump administration declined to file an emergency appeal challenging a federal court order.
Gun rights activists and Republican lawmakers called the change a historic win for the Second Amendment, while gun control groups said the ruling will leave Americans less safe.
In 1934, following high-profile shootings, Congress used its taxing power to enact the National Firearms Act. The law required individuals to pay a $200 fee before transferring or making certain firearms — on top of registering them — in an effort to curtail these activities. |
WI: Congressman Derrick Van Orden visits local shooting range
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Congressman Derrick Van Orden is making a stop in Lake Hallie Friday to meet with gun owners.
The event was hosted by Dan Marcon, Owner of Marc-on Shooting Gun Range.
During the visit, Congressman Van Orden highlighted his stance on the second amendment.
He shared why he thinks protecting that right is so important.
“A well-regulated militia being necessary for the security of a free state, the right for the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. That’s the entire context, or the entire content of the Second Amendment. The reason that that amendment is in place is to make sure that American citizens can protect themselves from a tyrannical government,” Van Orden said. |
AAG Dhillon Confirmed To Speak At GRPC 2026
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) planning committee is pleased to announce that Assistant Attorney Generalfor Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice Harmeet Dhillon is confirmed to speak during the 41st annual event set for Sept. 25 – 27 in Dallas at the Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport hotel.
AAG Dhillon was nominated by President Donald Trump in December 2024, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 3, 2025, and sworn in on April 7, 2025. Prior to joining the DOJ, Dhillon founded both the Dhillon Law Group and the Center for American Liberty, a nonprofit organization dedicated to pursuing civil liberties legal claims. |
Gun rights gets ‘greatest restoration’ in 100 years with latest Trump DOJ move, lawmaker hails
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Gun rights advocates are cheering a recent ruling that will make it easier for people to obtain firearm suppressors and certain weapons, with a business founder-turned-lawmaker calling it “the greatest restoration” of Second Amendment rights in almost a century.
Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., who founded Clyde Armory in his home state of Georgia before he was elected to Congress, argued that the regulatory barrier was wrong in the first place because it taxed a constitutional right. |
IL: Chicago Required Gun Training, Then Banned Every Place to Train
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
More than a decade before the Supreme Court struck down Hawaii’s attempt to make lawful carry practically impossible in Wolford v. Lopez, Chicago tried the same basic trick with firearm ownership.
The city required residents to complete live-fire training before they could obtain the permit necessary to possess a firearm. Chicago then banned every public firing range within city limits.
You had to train before you could lawfully own a gun, but the city prohibited you from training. That was not public-safety regulation. It was a handgun ban rebuilt with paperwork. |
The DOJ's Surprising Response to two Machine Gun Cert Petitions
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Instead of the government’s typical boilerplate response saying that the petition should be denied, the government’s response was, in relevant part:
“Petitioner contends...that the federal statute prohibiting the possession of a machinegun, 18 U.S.C. 922(o), violates the Second Amendment. He requests...that this Court hold his petition for a writ of certiorari pending the resolution of Viramontes v. Cook County, cert. granted, No. 25-238 (June 30, 2026), and Grant v. Higgins, cert. granted, No. 25-566 (June 30, 2026), which present the question whether bans on the possession of AR-15 rifles violate the Second Amendment. The government agrees that Viramontes and Grant could affect the proper disposition of this case...” |
The NFA Is Dying – Is the Trump Admin Finally Done Trying to Save It?
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
For the first time in 92 years, Americans can buy suppressors – known to many as silencers – without awaiting permission or registering in accordance with the National Firearms Act of 1934, the nation’s first gun control law. The federal court ruling making this legal took effect at midnight on Thursday, August 13, 2026. And just after midnight, two gun-rights advocates made the first NFA-free suppressor purchases. But wait, there’s more. According to Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), the Trump administration confirmed Wednesday that the DOJ would not appeal the decision.
The NFA is dying – is the Trump administration finally done trying to save it? |
CT: Fatal East Hartford shooting may have been self-defense, police say
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
One of the three people shot in East Hartford over a two-day time span has died, police said Friday.
Officer Marc Caruso said the deadly shooting at 50 Hillside St., Coachlight Village apartments, Monday night stemmed from a robbery. The person who pulled the trigger may have done so because they were being robbed, he said.
“Early information indicates this was a robbery in which the victim acted in self‑defense,” he said. |
‘What about Tate?’
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Dave Adamiak, whose son Patrick “Tate” Adamiak has 17 more years left to serve in federal prison, is confused, perplexed and nearing his wit’s end.
While he appreciates all the support his son’s case has drawn—there are hundreds of videos and stories chronicled on his “Freedom for Tate” website—Tate remains is prison.
To date, there has been no formal move to secure his release—despite the kind words of more than a few elected officials.
Adamiak’s family sent a pardon request to Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Justice Department Pardon Attorney Edward J. Martin Jr., along with nearly 2,000 signatures of supporters, who all believe Tate should never have been charged with a crime. |
TX: Texas State Lawmaker, Congressional Candidate 'Make History' with Unregistered Suppressor Purchase
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
After a court ruling hamstrung enforcement of the National Firearms Act (NFA) in 15 states last week, a Texas gun store sold unregistered suppressors to two political figures on Thursday morning, marking purportedly the first such deal since Congress passed the law in 1934.
“I woke up this morning and walked outside. I didn’t get arrested, and my dog was still alive. So I think we’re in a pretty good spot,” state Rep. Wes Virdell (R-Kerrville), one of the purchasers, told The Texan.
Virdell and Brandon Herrera, this year’s Republican nominee for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, bought two silencers apiece from Leander-based firearm retailer Silencer Shop without going through the NFA registration process, ... |
The NFA Injunction: What You Need to Know
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
As the Government has reportedly chosen not to appeal the decision there is an abundance of information, misconceptions, and outstanding questions as to who this ruling applies to and how it applies. This page is designed to provide some answers to those questions and, as necessary, to acknowledge where answers are as of yet unavailable.
Ed.: Reposting, as it is a valuable resource. Also, be kind to your FFL--they are working through the ramifications and uncertainty as best they can. |
NY: SAF Files Lawsuit Challenging New York Glock Ban
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and its partners have filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York challenging New York law that bars the sale and transfer of Glock and Glock-style handguns.
The updated law states that “…any dealer in firearms or gunsmith who…sells, transfers, disposes of, or transports or ships as merchandise a convertible pistol shall be guilty of a class D felony.” The law further states that the Superintendent of the New York State Police is required to produce an annual list of machinegun convertible pistols. Anyone found in violation of the law on or after May 31, 2027, is subject to punishment of up to seven years in prison and a fine of $5,000 or more. |
CO: Out-of-state gunowners target Denver open-carry ban
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday, gunowners who live outside of Colorado claimed the combination of Denver’s open-carry firearm ban and the state’s concealed-handgun-permit laws violate their Second Amendment rights by leaving them with no lawful means to carry a gun in the Mile High City.
“Through a combination of Colorado and Denver law, plaintiff [Zackary] Dougherty has no mechanism to carry a handgun for self-defense either concealed or openly,” Dougherty, of Greenville County, South Carolina, says in a 52-page complaint. |
Mundane DOJ memo on post office gun bans is actually bigger deal than you think
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
“Congress has exempted the ‘lawful carrying’ ֻof firearms or other dangerous weapons ‘incident to hunting or other lawful purposes,’” the OLC memo says. “Because carrying arms for self-defense when entering a building held open to the ֻpublic is a ֻparadigmatic ‘lawful purpose,’ that exception permits the lawful carrying of constitutionally protected firearms in post offices.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) made its position known in a July filing with the Fifth Circuit that dropped the appeal, allowing a nationwide injunction issued in September 2025 blocking enforcement of the carry ban, to stand. |
VA: Murder charge dropped; new evidence backs Manassas mother’s self defense claim
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The case shifted after prosecutors and Manassas police successfully accessed a previously unexamined digital recording, Ashworth’s office said.
Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth’s office concluded the audio introduces “significant evidence of lawful self-defense,” creating enough reasonable doubt to prevent the state from ethically proceeding with the prosecution, the release said.
Following this review, Ashworth’s office moved to nolle prosse the charges, meaning the charges will not be prosecuted but can be reintroduced at a later time. |
NJ: Gun-Rights Group Petitions Supreme Court To Hear New Jersey 3D Printing Challenge
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Now, SAF is continuing its fight against New Jersey’s prohibition on publishing computer files that can be used for 3D printing firearms. On August 11, SAF filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the case, asking the Supreme Court to consider the challenge.
As some background, Defense Distributed v. Attorney General of New Jersey was originally filed way back in 2018. The case challenges a New Jersey statute that prohibits the publication of computer files containing digital firearms information on the grounds it violates the First Amendment. |
CBS Relegates Major 2A Win to Streaming, Admit Nothing Can Stop It
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Much like NewsBusters reported Thursday, the liberal broadcast and cable news networks have been largely silent about a major legal win for the Second Amendment and gun rights advocates; where a federal judge in Texas ruled the registration of suppressors, as well as short-barreled rifles and shotguns, as unconstitutional. The ruling opened the floodgates across the country, but it did not receive any mention on much of TV news. Well into Friday, only CBS’s streaming service CBS News 24/7 gave the story any airtime, Thursday evening, and they even admitted there was basically nothing to stop it. |
VA: Prosecutors dump murder charges against mom who shot husband after 5-hour tape backs self-defense
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
“Following an exhaustive review of the audio and its transcript, the Commonwealth has concluded that the recording introduces significant evidence that a reasonable jury could interpret as supporting a claim of lawful self-defense,” the statement notes. “Because this newly available evidence creates a reasonable doubt regarding criminal intent, the Commonwealth cannot ethically proceed with the prosecution at this time.”
It said the office is legally and ethically bound to proceed only with cases in which the available evidence can establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, Ashworth notes, adding she will not comment further on the underlying facts of the investigation beyond the formal statement. |
DOJ Says Lawful Gun Owners Can Carry in Post Offices
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
For decades, gun owners have generally been told that carrying a firearm into a U.S. Post Office is illegal.
The Justice Department now says that isn't what federal law actually says.
In a significant legal opinion issued August 12, 2026, the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel concluded that federal law permits otherwise law-abiding citizens to carry constitutionally protected firearms for self-defense inside post offices that are generally open to the public.
Even more importantly, DOJ concluded that the U.S. Postal Service cannot enforce its separate regulation that purports to ban firearms on postal property without a self-defense exception. |
|
|
