Supreme Court Punts On NYSRPA V. City Of NY

The US Supreme Court issued its ruling on New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. City of New York today. The bottom line is that they punted in a 6-3 decision finding the case moot.

More as I read the opinion and the dissents.

I know we wished for more but this, as much as I hate it, was not unexpected after the City of New York changed its regulations.

UPDATE: From Jonathan Adler at the Volokh Conspiracy.

Many were anticipating a big Second Amendment ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. New York, but it was not to be. The New York legislature revised the laws in question while the litigation was pending, rendering moot the precise question before the Court. Accordingly, in a brief Per Curiam opinion the Court sent the case back down to the lower court for consideration of the relevant Second Amendment claims against the rules currently in force. Justice Kavanaugh wrote a brief concurrence. Justice Alito, joined by Justices Gorsuch and Thomas, dissented.

For what it’s worth, I think the Court got this one right: The case as argued is moot. At the same time, the dissenters are correct that additional guidance to lower courts (and states) on the permissibility of gun restrictions is long overdue. In this regard, I think Justice Kavanaugh’s concurrence got things right: “petitioners’ claim for injunctive relief against New York City’s old rule is moot and that petitioners’ new claims should be addressed as appropriate in the first instance by the Court of Appeals and the District Court on remand.” In addition, there is ample cause for concern that “some federal and state courts may not be properly applying Heller and McDonald.” Accordingly, Kavanaugh wrote: “The Court should address that issue soon, perhaps in one of the several Second Amendment cases with petitions for certiorari now pending before the Court.”