Gun rights groups are reeling from another setback just days after the Supreme Court refused to hear a high-profile lawsuit on San Francisco’s gun law.
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued an emergency administrative stay on Friday, temporarily halting the victory from a lower court’s decision that ruled against a D.C. gun law.
The Washington Free Beacon reported that the stay now allows the city to continue enforcing the “good reason” clause for a short time. Ultimately, the court must decide if it should grant a long-term stay covering the length of the appeal.
A lower District Court deemed the “good reason” clause unconstitutional in May.
The Circuit Court’s stay puts power back in the hands of D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier, who can decide whether gun applicants have a “good reason” to carry a firearm. Apparently, she believes that heavy crime and a desire for self-defense do not qualify as adequate “reasons.”
According to the Circuit Court, the stay is not a factor in the ultimate decision about the anti-gun law does not indicate whether it might grant a long-term stay for the duration of the appeal. The court placed the stay in the first place to grant itself enough time.
“The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the merits of the motion for stay and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of that motion,” the Circuit Court stated of the stay.
Many gun rights activist across the country are paying attention to this case, as its decision may change the laws in other gun-restricting cities, including New York.
