In May, the National Rifle Association petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear NRA v. Glass, our challenge to Florida’s ban on firearm purchases by adults under 21.
Yesterday, Florida filed its response to our petition. In an extraordinary move, the state urged the Supreme Court to hear the case, and to strike down its own law.
The brief first argues that “the en banc Eleventh Circuit erred in upholding Florida’s ban” because it identified no Founding Era law that restricted the right of 18-to-20-year-olds or adults of any age to purchase arms. Rather, “Founding-era evidence affirmatively demonstrates that early Americans trusted 18-to-20-year-olds with firearms and, indeed, expected them to possess and even purchase guns.”
The brief next emphasizes that “certiorari is also warranted because the decision below widens a circuit split on this issue.” The Fourth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits have upheld restrictions on 18-to-20-year-olds, while the Third, Fifth, and Eighth Circuits have held them unconstitutional.
Lastly, Florida argues that our “petition presents a suitable vehicle for resolving” the “important question” of whether young adults have Second Amendment rights, because “the parties’ Second Amendment arguments were fully briefed and argued at every stage of this litigation.”
The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether to hear our case this fall.
Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org for future updates on NRA-ILA’s ongoing efforts to defend your constitutional rights, and please visit www.nraila.org/litigation to keep up to date on NRA-ILA’s ongoing litigation efforts.
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