The Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging California’s ban on gun shows at state-owned venues, disappointing gun rights advocates who cited the Court’s own 2022 Bruen decision. The move signals a possible shift in how the Court approaches gun rights cases post-Bruen.
Key Facts:
- The Supreme Court refused to hear a case challenging California’s laws banning gun shows on public property, including fairgrounds.
- Challengers argued the bans violated their First and Second Amendment rights and conflicted with the 2022 Bruen decision.
- The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the bans, stating they did not meaningfully burden Second Amendment rights.
- Justice Elena Kagan previously denied an emergency request to block enforcement of the laws while the case was pending.
- At least four justices would have needed to agree to hear the case; they did not.
The Rest of The Story:
Gun rights advocates asked the Supreme Court to overturn California’s laws banning the sale of firearms and ammunition at state-owned venues, including the Del Mar Fairgrounds and the Orange County Fair and Event Center.
The state later expanded the restrictions to cover all state property.
The challengers pointed to the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision, which required gun control laws to be historically grounded to be considered constitutional.
However, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with California, reasoning that the ban did not substantially infringe on Second Amendment rights.
The justices declined to intervene, meaning the lower court’s decision stands.
Justice Elena Kagan had previously rejected a request to block the ban during the appeals process, and now the Court has fully passed on hearing the merits of the case.
Commentary:
The Supreme Court’s refusal to take up this case raises serious concerns for defenders of the Second Amendment.
After the landmark Bruen decision, many expected the Court to be more aggressive in ensuring lower courts followed its historical-tradition framework.
Instead, by allowing California’s sweeping ban to stand, the Court sends a signal that states can impose significant restrictions with little fear of review.
It increasingly appears that the Supreme Court has decided to slow walk or even avoid applying Bruen broadly.
Chief Justice John Roberts seems content to allow the lower courts, especially the liberal 9th Circuit, to interpret Bruen narrowly and uphold new forms of gun control.
This trend points to a disturbing shift.
Chief Justice Roberts, once seen as a moderate conservative, appears more interested in preserving the Court’s public image than defending constitutional rights.
His leadership during and after the Trump administration has aligned more with the Court’s liberal justices than with its constitutional originalists.
Such a stance threatens the Court’s legitimacy.
When rights explicitly listed in the Constitution can be whittled away without meaningful review, it undermines public trust.
The founders intended for the judiciary to act as a shield against state overreach—not to turn a blind eye when convenient.
If the Court continues down this path, the Bruen decision could be rendered toothless by lower courts determined to uphold gun control measures.
Worse, it could embolden states like California to enact even more extreme restrictions, knowing the high court may not intervene.
The Bottom Line:
The Supreme Court’s decision to let California’s ban on gun shows stand signals a troubling reluctance to enforce its own precedent on gun rights.
Chief Justice Roberts’ shift toward the liberal wing of the Court risks weakening constitutional protections.
Without firm enforcement of Bruen’s standards, Americans’ Second Amendment rights may be increasingly vulnerable to erosion at the state level.
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