Minnesota Update: Eighth Circuit Court Strikes Down Minnesota’s Firearm Carry Age Restrictions

The U.S. Eighth Circuit Courtroom of Appeals issued a mandate on September 20, formally shutting down the Minnesota Legal professional Basic’s efforts to protect the state’s ban on firearm carry for people aged 18 to twenty. The choice follows a authorized problem backed by the Minnesota Gun House owners Caucus, the Second Modification Basis (SAF), and the Firearms Coverage Coalition (FPC).

The problem was introduced ahead by plaintiffs Kristin Value, Austin Dye, and Axel Anderson, who argued that Minnesota’s restrictions on carrying firearms for adults beneath 21 violated their Second Modification rights. In April 2023, U.S. District Courtroom Choose Katherine Menendez dominated in favor of the plaintiffs, however delayed an injunction towards the regulation pending attraction.

In July, a three-judge panel from the Eighth Circuit had unanimously affirmed the decrease court docket’s ruling. Circuit Courtroom Choose William Benton, who wrote the opinion, famous that the language of the Second Modification doesn’t specify an age restrict. He highlighted that whereas the Founders included age restrictions in different areas, equivalent to operating for political workplace, no such limits had been positioned on the best to bear arms.

“In different phrases, the Founders thought-about age and knew tips on how to set age necessities however positioned no such restrictions on rights, together with these protected by the Second Modification,” Benton wrote within the choice.

Following the panel’s ruling, Minnesota sought to have the case reheard, both by the identical three-judge panel or by the total bench of the Eighth Circuit. The appeals court docket rejected each requests in an August 21 order, successfully setting the stage for the mandate that was issued on Friday.

With the mandate now in place, Minnesota should both revise its legal guidelines to adjust to the court docket’s choice or attraction the case to the U.S. Supreme Courtroom. The Minnesota Legal professional Basic’s workplace has not but commented on whether or not it plans to pursue additional authorized motion.

Following the mandate, the FPC celebrated the choice on social media.

“This formalizes our victory, and the ban is now formally lifeless,” the FPC wrote in a publish. “If it needs to proceed defending its tyranny, Minnesota should take its tears to SCOTUS.”

The ruling represents a big win for gun rights advocates in Minnesota, marking the tip of a protracted authorized battle over age-based firearm restrictions. For now, the state’s regulation barring 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying firearms is successfully nullified, pending any potential attraction to the nation’s highest court docket.