The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal law banning firearm possession by individuals accused of domestic abuse, reversing a lower court ruling that had deemed the law a violation of the Second Amendment.
Domestic Abusers Can’t Carry Firearms : Court’s Decision on Firearm Ban
Chief Justice John Roberts dismissed the challenge by Zackey Rahimi, a Texas man, to Section 922(g)(8) of Title 18 of the U.S. Code. This law prohibits gun possession by individuals under domestic violence restraining orders. This marks the first Second Amendment case to reach the high court following its landmark 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which expanded the right to carry guns outside the home.
“In short, we have no trouble concluding that Section 922(g)(8) survives Rahimi’s facial challenge,” Roberts wrote. “Our tradition of firearm regulation allows the government to disarm individuals who present a credible threat to the physical safety of others.”
Justice Clarence Thomas was the lone dissenter, contending the law is unconstitutional because “not a single historical regulation justifies the statute at issue,” he stated.
Domestic Abusers Can’t Carry Firearms : Background on Rahimi Case
Rahimi faced indictment in April 2021 after police discovered firearms and ammunition in his home while he was bound by a restraining order for assaulting his girlfriend in a parking lot. He argued that the law was unconstitutional under both the existing two-step framework and a historical analysis of regulation.
