Supreme Court Declines to Block New York Gun Law, Allowing Restrictions on Carrying Firearms in Public to Remain in Place

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to block a New York law that imposes new restrictions on carrying firearms in public, allowing the measure to remain in place while legal proceedings continue. The law, called the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, was passed in the wake of the Supreme Court’s major Second Amendment decision this summer.

Six gun owners living in New York asked the high court to intervene in their dispute over the law after a federal appeals court put on hold a lower court’s injunction halting enforcement of portions of the law. The Supreme Court’s brief, unsigned order from the justices declined their request to block New York officials from enforcing the gun law.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, to say they agreed with their colleagues but stressed they were not ruling on the merits of the law, but simply declining to intervene in the dispute at this juncture. The challengers to the law argue that it violates their constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

The Supreme Court’s decision allows the New York gun law to remain in effect while legal challenges play out. The law places restrictions on carrying a concealed firearm, including a requirement that gun owners must demonstrate a “special need for self-protection” in order to obtain a permit.

The Supreme Court’s decision not to intervene in the dispute at this juncture leaves the New York gun law in place while legal proceedings continue. It is unclear when the Supreme Court will rule on the merits of the law.