On September 12, 2023, the California legislature passed Senate Bill 2, sending it to Governor Newsom’s desk for signature. SB 2 amends California’s gun laws and implements an expansive new ban on areas where a person could lawfully carry a handgun – many of which were previously unregulated.
Like New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Hawaii, the California legislature opted to bar the carrying of arms in areas such as public parks, restaurants that serve alcohol (regardless of whether the individual carrying consumes alcohol), churches, libraries, on public transportation, and on private property where the owner or lessee has not posted that the carrying of arms is permissible. Put simply, California’s new law would make carrying a firearm for self-defense an exercise in theory rather than a practical reality.
On September 12, 2023, the Second Amendment Foundation, joined by eleven individuals, and four civil rights organizations, filed suit against California’s Attorney General and Does 1-10. The lawsuit seeks a preliminary and permanent injunction, along with a declaration that the Defendants violated the Second and Fourteenth Amendments and that SB 2 and California Penal Code § 26230(a) includes areas that are not “sensitive places” consistent with our nation’s history and tradition.
Case Team: C.D. Michel, Sean Brady, Konstadinos Moros, Donald Kilmer
Recent Docket Activity
July 15th, 2026
ORDER LIFTING STAY AND REQUIRING NEW PROPOSED CASE SCHEDULE by Judge Monica Ramirez Almadani: The Court has reviewed the parties' Joint Status Rep01t and hereby ORDERS the stay in this action is LIFTED and the case shall be REOPENED. The parties shall propose a new case schedule in accordance with the procedures and forms available on the Court's website: The parties are directed to file a completed Proposed Schedule of Pretrial Dates Worksheet within seven days of the date of this Order. SEE DOCUMENT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
July 9th, 2026
STATUS REPORT filed by Plaintiffs Barry Bahrami, Isabelle R. Barretto, Oscar A. Barretto, Jr, Gary Brennan, California Rifle & Pistol Association, Incorporated, Jose Flores, Gun Owners Foundation, Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners of California, Inc., Eric Hans, Andrew Harms, Sheldon Hough, Liberal Gun Owners Association, Reno May, Anthony Miranda, Second Amendment Foundation, Pete Stephenson.
July 8th, 2026
NOTICE of Appearance filed by attorney Viviana Maria Hanley on behalf of Defendant Robert Bonta )
July 8th, 2026
NOTICE of Appearance filed by attorney Kristi Hughes on behalf of Defendant Robert Bonta )
June 5th, 2026
Notice of Appearance or Withdrawal of Counsel: for attorney Carolyn F Downs counsel for Defendant Robert Bonta. Robert Leslie Meyerhoff is no longer counsel of record for the aforementioned party in this case for the reason indicated in the G-123 Notice. Filed by defendant Attorney General Rob Bonta.
June 3rd, 2026
Notice of Appearance or Withdrawal of Counsel: for attorney Carolyn F Downs counsel for Defendant Robert Bonta. Adding Carolyn Downs as counsel of record for Attorney General Rob Bonta for the reason indicated in the G-123 Notice. Filed by defendant Attorney General Rob Bonta. )
October 14th, 2025
ORDER GRANTING STAY 78 by Judge Monica Ramirez Almadani as follows: These cases are hereby stayed pending the Supreme Court's resolution of the petition for a writ of certiorari in Wolford, et al. v. Lopez, Case No. No. 24-1046 ; The parties shall file a joint status report no later than fourteen days after the issuance of the Supreme Court's opinion in Wolford; and The Clerk shall administratively remove this matter from the Court's activedocket until further notice.
