Federal Appeals Court Partially Reinstates Gun Bans in California, Hawaii: Impact of Supreme Court Ruling

A recent ruling by a federal appeals court has partially reinstated firearm bans in California and Hawaii, determining that while California may prohibit guns in parks, playgrounds, and bars, it cannot do so in banks or hospitals.

The Court's Findings

The 3-0 ruling issued by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit stated that the current interpretation of gun rights by the Supreme Court was “seemingly arbitrary” and “hard to explain” at this time. The court's findings apply solely to the laws in California and Hawaii.

The judges determined that the majority of the prohibitions enacted last year by California and Hawaii aligned with the constitutional standards established in a 2022 Supreme Court decision that markedly narrowed the legal standard for restrictions on firearms. 

Supreme Court Decision

That Supreme Court decision invalidated a New York law that had imposed stringent limitations on carrying guns outside of homes. The Supreme Court asserted that restrictions on guns are constitutional only if courts can identify an analogue “consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.” However, the court also stated that states could prohibit guns in “sensitive places” such as schools and courthouses.