Starting January 1, 2019, a change to California law became effective that prohibited Young Adults (ages 18-20-years-old) from purchasing or acquiring any firearm. This new law was a drastic departure from the prior status quo and only provided a few limited exemptions. As a result of the new law, Young Adults who wished to purchase firearms for self protection were no longer able to do so.
This restriction is incompatible with the Second Amendment’s plain text. And an examination of this nation’s history and tradition demonstrates that prohibiting the purchase of these arms by Young Adults is constitutionally impermissible. There were no colonial or founding era laws that restricted the rights of Young Adults to keep and carry arms.
On July 1, 2019, the Second Amendment Foundation filed suit, along with three other civil rights organizations, two Young Adults, and three firearms retailers. The lawsuit asks a federal court to declare that the law violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments and enjoin the Defendants from enforcing the ban on Young Adults from being able to purchase long guns.
Case Team: John Dillon, David Thompson, Peter Patterson, John Ohlendorf, Haley Proctor
Case Documents
To access all of the case documents at the District Court, please visit the docket.
To view documents filed on appeal, please visit the Court of Appeals docket.
Case Media