|
|
MD: NCLA to Fourth Circuit: Self-Defense Must Be Allowed Walking to and from Synagogue, Too
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Today, the New Civil Liberties Alliance asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for a preliminary injunction to allow members of Montgomery County, Maryland’s Silver Spring Jewish Center to carry firearms for self-defense while walking between their homes and the synagogue. NCLA and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty represent the synagogue in the Silver Spring Jewish Center, et al. v. Montgomery County lawsuit, which challenges the county’s recently imposed ban on firearms in places of worship and within 100 yards of any “place of public assembly.” This ban violates the First, Second, and Fourteenth Amendments. NCLA brought the lawsuit together with Rabbi J. Menashe Shapiro, who attends the synagogue. |
TN: DA: Self-defense, no charges in fatal August Gray shooting
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Authorities will not file charges against a man who fatally shot a 24-year-old outside a tobacco and vape store in Gray Aug. 14, citing self-defense on the part of the shooter.
First Judicial District Attorney General Steve Finney's office reported Monday that a review of all available evidence, including video of the entire incident in which 59-year-old Kevin Nottingham shot Dalton Spaulding, "it was decided that Nottingham acted in self defense," according to a release. |
NV: Domestic disturbance ends with fatal shooting
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
An adult male was fatally shot by his father in Pahrump on Sunday evening, according to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident is believed to be one of self-defense and the father, who is in his 70s, was not arrested at the scene, following law enforcement interviews and evidence gathering at the scene, Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill told the Pahrump Valley yesterday morning.
McGill said the case will be presented to the Nye County District Attorney’s Office to determine if there will be any criminal prosecution. An autopsy report, which won’t be back for a while, could delay any potential future steps, McGill added. |
The “Weapon of War” Argument Has Backfired on AR-15 Bans
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The Supreme Court will soon hear arguments in December in Viramontes v. Cook County, a challenge to state and local bans on AR-15 semiautomatic rifles. The challengers say the rifles are “in common use” for lawful purposes such as self-defense. The state governments defending their gun-bans say they are weapons better suited to war than to civilian life.
Neither side recognizes that the Second Amendment’s reference to the “militia” counts in favor of protecting AR-15s either way.
The challengers emphasize self-defense, an individually focused concern, while the governments argue that AR-15s’ military character is a reason to ban them. But AR-15s are the sort of small arms historically suited for a militia. |
PA: Prosecutor Says Man Who Used Crossbow To Kill Assailant Acted In Self-Defense
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A Pennsylvania prosecutor said that a fatal September incident involving a crossbow was a case of self-defense.
The September incident, which took place in Sharon, Pennsylvania, located near the Ohio border about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh, was a domestic dispute that turned deadly, WFMJ, a Youngstown, Ohio, television station, reported. Mercer County District Attorney Jacob Sander said Billy Colwell’s death from a single crossbow shot was self-defense. |
NY: NYC handgun owners secure partial win in challenge to licensing laws
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Three handgun buyers persuaded the Second Circuit to reinstate some of their claims against New York City in a Tuesday ruling, reviving their challenge to city and state gun licensing requirements, including limits on how many guns a person can own or carry and the 90-day waiting period between gun purchases.
In the lower court, U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff tossed the case in December 2024, concluding that “none of the predominantly administrative regulations here operates to permanently deprive applicants of their right to own and carry firearms." |
TX: Texas Democrats Introduce Deluge of Gun Control Legislation on First Day of Pre-Filing
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Emboldened by their unexpected majority in the Texas House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm election, Democratic lawmakers have introduced a spate of bills aiming to curb gun rights in the Lone Star State.
Since pre-filing opened on November 9, 23 bills related to guns have been introduced in the Texas Legislature, all but one in the Texas House.
The proposals encompass a host of gun control measures that have been implemented in other states. |
The Peaceful Second Amendment Revolution
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
We ought always feel gratitude to those lawyers, and other Americans, who defended and advanced natural rights during the American Revolution. Tonight is the story of how one of the rights which those lawyers and others had guaranteed in our Constitution was nearly obliterated during the last third of the twentieth century. And how the peaceful revolution that has restored the Second Amendment was the cooperative work of millions of Americans, especially lawyers, and among them, especially legal scholars. |
MO: AR-15 rifle debate: Do children and police deserve as much consideration as game animals?
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
One of the justifications for imposing cartridge limitations on hunters is that the hunter “could wound an animal without promptly harvesting it.” The counterargument is that “a quick follow-up shot can itself reduce suffering.” When I read this justification, my mind fixated on the hundreds of schoolchildren and police officers who have been killed without the benefit of a similar humane-treatment doctrine offered to waterfowl and game animals. Many states, including nine now arguing that semiautomatic rifles are protected by the Second Amendment, have established rules designed to prevent unnecessary suffering among animals hunted for sport. |
ATF Director: ‘We will not change’
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
ATF Director Robert Cekada was flying with Todd Blanche, the 88th Attorney General of the United States, Sunday night when the two men started talking.
Of course, the recent midterm election losses were discussed, as were ATF’s priorities.
Cekada said Monday that his response to the election was simple: He will not change.
“We’re forging ahead,” he said. “I am pushing all of the rules that we told everyone to modernize. We are going to repeal all of the old Biden rules.”
Once the ATF rules are formalized, everyone will have protections that they need, Cekada said. |
AR: Arkansas Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Stronger Gun Rights Protections, 71% to 29%
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Arkansas had a strong win for Second Amendment supporters on election day of 2026. The state constitutional amendment was Issue NO. 2 on the ballot. It passed 70.80% to 29.20%. This is a strong showing, consistent with other state constitutional amendments supporting the right to keep and bear arms in other states.
Arkansas has two methods to amend the state constitution. One is for the legislature to put the measure on the ballot for approval. A majority of both houses is required to do so. The legislature is limited to put three measures on the ballot at a time. The legislature chose to put Issue NO. 2 on the ballot in 2026. |
Trump Names Craig Trainor to Lead DOJ Division Overseeing Second Amendment Enforcement
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has a new boss, at least for now. On Tuesday night, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on X that President Trump appointed Craig Trainor as Acting Assistant Attorney General for the division. Blanche thanked Trainor “for taking on this critical role and for his dedicated service to the American people and President Trump.”
For gun owners, the title matters less than what sits underneath it. The Civil Rights Division is where Harmeet Dhillon built DOJ’s first Second Amendment Section, and Dhillon resigned on November 5. In the days between her exit and Blanche’s post, Jesus A. Osete, her principal deputy, was running the division. |
NY: Four More Years of Gun Control: What Hochul’s Reelection Means for New York Gun Owners
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Election night didn’t deliver the result New York gun owners were hoping for. Kathy Hochul won a second full term on November 3, beating Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman by roughly 20 points. For the millions of law-abiding New Yorkers who own firearms, that means four more years under a governor who has never met a gun restriction she didn’t like.
We know exactly what to expect, because we’ve already lived it. In June 2022, the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in NYSRPA v. Bruen, striking down New York’s “proper cause” requirement and affirming that the Second Amendment protects the right to carry a firearm outside the home. |
Supreme Court Showdown Over Semi-Automatic Rifle Bans Hits A Sudden Late-Stage Twist
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A five-year legal battle over the future of semi-automatic rifles in America hit an unexpected snag this week, forcing gun rights advocates to fight just to keep their landmark case alive weeks before it reaches the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Second Amendment Foundation and its partners filed an urgent brief with the nation’s highest court on Wednesday, pushing back against a move by Cook County, Illinois, to have the high-profile case, Viramontes v. Cook County, thrown out entirely.
The sudden procedural drama began in late October when the lawsuit’s lead plaintiff, Mr. Viramontes, unexpectedly asked to be dropped from the case. |
IA: It Took College Student Just 4 Weeks To End Transit Authority’s No Guns Rule
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
An Iowa State University student needed just 23 days to get the city of Ames to end a policy banning guns on its transit system.
Natalie Gibson, an animal science major, sued Ames on Oct. 13, saying its gun ban on CyRide buses was a violation of Iowa’s firearms preemption law, according to the Iowa Capitol Dispatch. In a Nov. 5 memo, the Ames Transit Board announced it was ending the policy following a unanimous vote, the Iowa Capitol Dispatch reported.
“We do not have further comment on the Board’s decision due to pending litigation on the subject,” CyRide Director Barbara Neal told the Des Moines-area outlet. |
TX: NRA pushes back against new Texas gun bills filed ahead of 2027 session
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Texas lawmakers have filed dozens of gun-related bills ahead of the 2027 legislative session, prompting criticism from the National Rifle Association over proposals that could change the state's firearm laws.
On Monday, Nov. 9, the first day of prefiling, lawmakers introduced approximately 35 firearm-related bills, according to the NRA. The organization criticized several proposals, arguing they could restrict Second Amendment rights.
"With control of the Texas House and the Governor’s office changing hands in January, gun grabbers are wasting no time in previewing what to expect when the session opens," the NRA wrote in a statement. |
CA: DOJ Sues Glendale, California Over $2,000 Concealed Carry Permits, Cites Second Amendment Violations
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
The Justice Department (DOJ) has made good on its threat against Glendale, California. On November 9, 2026, the United States filed a federal lawsuit against the city in the Central District of California, claiming Glendale’s concealed carry licensing process is so expensive and so invasive that it violates the Second Amendment rights of the people who live there.
The case is United States of America v. City of Glendale, California. The complaint doesn’t pull many punches. According to the DOJ, an applicant for a carry license in Glendale “must pay an outrageous $1,078.00 application fee,” and once the city’s other mandates are added in, “total fees and costs for an initial application can be as much as $2,000.” |
CA: The Second Amendment Applies to People Who Can’t Spare $2,100
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A working parent in Glendale, Calif., shouldn’t need nearly $2,100 in spare cash before applying to carry a handgun for protection. Rent still comes due, groceries still cost money, and a constitutional right becomes much harder to exercise when the application process competes with the household’s essential bills.
On November 9, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department sued Glendale over its concealed-carry permitting system. Federal officials put total initial application costs between $1,971 and $2,106, with renewal costs between $1,271 and $1,406 every two years. The DOJ alleges the expense and discretionary screening violate the Second Amendment. |
NY: Federal Judge Strikes Down New York Body Armor Purchase Ban
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
A federal judge in Buffalo ruled Wednesday that New York’s restrictions on purchasing and selling body armor violate the Second Amendment, granting summary judgment to two residents and the Firearms Policy Coalition in Heeter v. James.
U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. concluded in a 47-page decision filed October 21 that body armor falls within the constitutional meaning of “arms.” He permanently enjoined enforcement of New York General Business Law Section 396-eee and Penal Law Sections 270.21 and 270.22 as they apply to the purchase and sale of body armor.
|
Jesus Osete Takes Over for Harmeet Dhillon, but a Federal Judgeship Could Make His Tenure Brief
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
Jesus A. Osete is now running the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The division’s homepage lists him as Acting Assistant Attorney General after Harmeet K. Dhillon resigned on November 5, 2026. For gun owners, that matters because Osete was already named as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General on the United States’ captions in the division’s affirmative Second Amendment cases. It also matters because he is a pending nominee to a Missouri federal judgeship whose seat does not open until May 2027. No firm date has been set for him to leave Civil Rights. |
What Is the Second Amendment Really For?
Submitted by:
Mark A. Taff
Website: www.marktaff.com
|
There
are no comments
on this story
Post Comments | Read Comments
|
For more than two centuries, Miller explained, courts generally understood the Second Amendment primarily in relation to militia service, rather than as a broad guarantee of individual gun ownership.
He pointed to two Supreme Court cases that reflected this understanding.
The first, Presser v. Illinois, arose in 1886 out of Chicago labor politics, when a group of armed protesters marched through the streets, in defiance of an Illinois law prohibiting unauthorized military organizations. “Chicago was the hotbed of a lot of labor activism in the late 19th century,” Miller said.
The Supreme Court upheld the law, ruling that the Second Amendment restricted only the federal government, not the states. |
|
|
