A federal judge in New York temporarily blocked large portions of the state’s new gun law in order to allow a gun owners’ rights group to pursue a lawsuit challenging the legislation, Reuters reported.
The order marks one of the most prominent victories by gun owners in challenging gun restrictions.
It comes after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in June that said for the first time that Americans have a constitutional right to carry weapons in public. It struck down a law that had stood for more than a century.
That Supreme Court ruling also found New York’s gun licensing protocol to be “unconstitutional” after there was a challenge lobbied by the powerful, and wealthy, National Rifle Association’s New York affiliate.
New York passed a new law during an emergency session after the Supreme Court’s ruling. It established new requirements for obtaining a license, including submitting social media accounts for review. It also established a long list of public and private places where having a gun on you would be a felony crime, even for those with a license.
New York’s law came into effect on September 1 and is being closely watched by other states where gun violence has become recurrent.
In a 53-page order, a New York federal judge, Glenn T. Suddaby of the Northern District, said he would block the state from enforcing several provisions.
Suddaby said attempts to ban guns in a number of places deemed “sensitive” was impermissible. These locations include the likes of museums, theaters, stadiums, Times Square, libraries, places offering services to children and anywhere alcohol is served.
The judge agreed to a three-business-day delay of his order, pending an emergency appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. That panel could take the issue up and grant a significantly longer stay.
If it does not, the order will take effect.
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