by The CalGuns Foundation released a statement yesterday evening on the win in the 9th Circuit yesterday. They congratulated the NRA, the California Rifle and Pistol Association, attorney Paul Clement, and California gun law firm Michel & Associates for their work that led to this win for Ed Peruta and the other plaintiffs. If the NRA hadn’t stepped in when they did, this could have turned into a terrible loss for the Second Amendment in California. The CalGuns statement does give a little bit of the back story on this case.
From CalGuns Foundation:
California takes a step towards “shall-issue” handgun carry licensing
In a major decision today, the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that California’s “good cause” requirement for handgun carry licenses violates the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.
In May 2009, during a short period when the federal Second Amendment legally applied to California through the Ninth Circuit’s Nordyke v. King decision, civil rights attorneys Alan Gura and Donald Kilmer filed a federal right-to-carry lawsuit against Sacramento County’s then-sheriff John McGinness and Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto on behalf of The Calguns Foundation (CGF), the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), and a number of individual plaintiffs. That lawsuit, then named Sykes v. McGinness, challenged the California statutes requiring “good cause” and “good moral character” as facially unconstitutional. The Sykes case also challenged the two sheriffs’ local policies as unconstitutional “as-applied” to the individual plaintiffs’ facts. Sacramento County eventually settled out of the lawsuit by agreeing to implement a “shall-issue” policy; the case continued against Yolo County and Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto as Richards v. Prieto.
Months after the Sykes case was filed, a lawsuit that replicated the CGF/SAF lawsuit was filed in San Diego County by Mr. Edward Peruta. Thankfully, the National Rifle Association intervened in the Peruta matter, adding new plaintiffs and significant resources to the case’s legal team including noted civil rights law firm Michel & Associates as well as former Solicitor General Paul Clement. The Peruta case result today is due in large part to the strength of the arguments mirrored from the Sykes lawsuit as well as the excellent legal work by Michel & Associates and Mr. Clement.
Though the Richards and Peruta cases were heard by the same three judge Ninth Circuit panel on the same day, the Court has only released its opinion on the Peruta matter so far. We look forward to the Court’s Richards decision and continuing our efforts to ensure that all law-abiding Californians have an accessible way to fully exercise their right to bear arms for self-defense.
The Calguns Foundation thanks the National Rifle Association, California Rifle & Pistol Association, Michel & Associates, and Mr. Paul Clement for their fantastic work to advance the fundamental Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms and congratulates them on their very important victory for all law-abiding Californians.
For more on these cases and the legal status of the right to bear arms (carry) in California, please visit http://www.calgunsfoundation.org/carry.
We need more of these mutual statements of recognition and appreciation from all parties. Tipping the hat to the other guy doesn't make one look worse, gun rights isn't a zero-sum game.
Or..in more concise terms when no one was around….."hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Yesterday (Saturday) I attended and met Brandon Combs of Calguns giving a talk on this decision and other California related 2A lawsuits. Brandon was more than complementary towards all the various gun groups including NRA, SAF, and not mentioned in the article, The California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA), that worked together and shared resources and materials towards restoring Californians 2A rights. In the past NRA and CRPA have had their turf spats while we in the gun community have been urging the old guard to bury their hatchets or lose the war for our civil rights. After the CA Legislature's enormous number of anti-fireamrs, anti-hunting, and anti-civil rights bills proposed last year, now even the skeet and trap and bolt-action hunters know unequivocally it's not about "black guns", and it is not about reducing crime, No, in fact it is about eliminating firearms completely and therefore is about complete control of the citizenry and they are targeted just the same as anyone with a modern sporting rifle.
The solicitor has completed the law education and knows the judicial bodies, ordinance and procedure of law therefore he is the most recommended person for filing a suit.Solicitor chatswood