BELLEVUE, WA – A coalition of gun rights groups including the Second Amendment Foundation is asking for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and an order to “show cause” in a motion for their federal case against California authorities who have ordered a shutdown of retail gun shops in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Joining SAF are plaintiffs Adam Brandy, Jonah Martinez, Daemion Garro, DG2A Enterprises Inc., d.b.a. Gun World, Jason Montes, Weyland-Yutani LLC d.b.a. Match Grade Gunsmiths, Alan Kushner, The Target Range, Tom Watt, A Place To Shoot, California Gun Rights Foundation, National Rifle Association and Firearms Policy Coalition, Inc. They are represented by California attorneys George M. Lee, San Francisco and John W. Dillon of Carlsbad, and Raymond M. DiGuiseppe of Southport, N.C.
The case is known as Brandy, et.al. v. Villanueva, et.al. It was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Plaintiffs are asking the court to enjoin California authorities, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva from closing or compelling the closure of retail firearm and ammunition businesses on the grounds they are “non-essential businesses” under Executive Order N-33-20, the “Safer at Home Order for Control of COVID-19.” They are also requesting the Court to issue an Order to Show Cause why a preliminary injunction should not issue, granting Plaintiffs preliminary and permanent injunctive relief as sought herein.
The action comes after officials in other states, including New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Wake County, N.C. backtracked on orders to close gun stores, and are now allowing those “essential businesses” to remain open. Over the weekend, the Department of Homeland Security and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released new guidelines that declare “Workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges” to be part of the essential workforce.
“California officials seem blind and deaf to the new guidelines, and the fact that law-abiding citizens want to exercise their Second Amendment rights during this time of crisis,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “We’re asking the court to fix their eyesight and improve their hearing.”