VICTORY FOR GUN SAFETY: Ninth Circuit Upholds Key Components of California, Hawai‘i Post-Bruen Sensitive Places Laws

SAN FRANCISCO — In a victory for gun safety, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling today broadly upholding key aspects of California and Hawai‘i laws prohibiting guns in sensitive places. The court’s opinion, authored by Judge Susan Graber, can be found here. Everytown Law, which filed amicus briefs supporting the Hawai‘i and California laws, responded with the following statement:

“We’re pleased to see that the Ninth Circuit has rejected the gun lobby’s reckless efforts to force guns into a wide range of sensitive places, including playgrounds, public parks, bars, public libraries, stadiums, and amusement parks,” said Janet Carter, Senior Director of Issues and Appeals at Everytown Law. “While we don’t agree with all aspects of the court’s decision, these results are heartening. Keeping guns out of sensitive places is common sense and these laws are crucial to keeping our communities safe from gun violence.” 

California and Hawai‘i passed their laws in response to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in New York Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen, a dangerous and misguided ruling striking down a key aspect of New York’s concealed carry law that had been on the books for more than 100 years and that was similar to laws then in place in both California and Hawai‘i. Everytown Law’s amicus briefs in the Ninth Circuit explained that California’s and Hawai‘i’s restrictions are constitutional under the approach to Second Amendment cases set out in Bruen.