As expected, the State of Hawaii filed an appeal in the Ninth Circuit seeking to overturn the recent US District Court ruling from Judge Lesli Kobayashi that knocked out significant portions of Hawaii’s new law that creates dozens of new “sensitive places” when guns are not allowed even with a carry permit. If the law stays in pace, it will be hard for a permit holder to drive across town without breaking the law.
Second Amendment Law Center is already working to coordinate an amicus brief campaign in the Ninth Circuit to hold onto this great win for Hawaii gun owners.
The new law, SB 1230, was signed into law back in June. It uses the same vindictive “every place is a ‘sensitive place’” gambit that gun ban advocates in other states have used — unsuccessfully - to try to get around the Bruen decision from the United States Supreme Court. They try this despite a warning in the Bruen opinion about using such unconstitutional tactics.
2ALC is working already working in several of those states to support right-to-carry lawsuits and will do the same in this Hawaii case.
In the recent ruling, Judge Kobayashi quoted directly from the amicus briefs coordinated by Second Amendment Law Center, highlighting the crucial role such briefs have come to play in the post-Bruen era of 2A litigation. As the legal fight continues nationally, more support is needed.
“Bruen points judges to historical context to assess the validity of modern laws, so the importance of the amicus brief in providing rich legal research has increased exponentially,” notes 2ALC President & Senior Legal Counsel Chuck Michel. “Amicus briefs add depth to the arguments made by the attorneys in the case and, as we’ve seen in Hawaii, can be very influential with the courts.”
2ALC will again be coordinating an amicus campaign to support the appeals proceedings for this Hawaii case. Sign up below to stay up to date and, if you are able, please consider supporting our effort with a tax-deductible donation. Thank you for your support!