9th Circuit to take up Hawaii firearms case again following Supreme Court decision
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to expand gun rights last week, it says a gun case in Hawaii deserves a new look.
The Supreme Court on Thursday sent a lawsuit by Big Island resident George Young Jr. back to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for a new ruling.
Young Jr. and his attorney Alan Beck are hoping to remove the “exceptional case” rule from the statute that makes it difficult for people to obtain a permit to carry a firearm in Hawaii.
Beck said he believes the Supreme Court’s ruling last week could lead to a successful lawsuit.
“This lawsuit is going to remove the heightened need requirements, so it’s going to make it dramatically easier to get a permit to carry a handgun in the state of Hawaii,” Beck said.
“The decision was already set because the Supreme Court last week ruled on the New York case, the Bruen case. You know, they explicitly wrote a long opinion saying these types of ‘exceptional case’ requirements are unconstitutional.”
Beck said the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals should be making a new ruling in the near future.
If the “exceptional case” rule is struck down, state lawmakers say they’re already working on legislation that would strengthen Hawaii’s gun laws.
Copyright 2022 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
