U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has upheld a New York City gun licensing rule that allows the city to reject gun license applications on the grounds of 'good moral character.' The case came before Sotomayor because she hears emergency requests from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The applicant, Mr. Srour, had his applications for gun licenses denied due to his prior arrests, bad driving history, and supposedly false statements on the applications. Srour sued New York City and argued that the regulations were unconstitutional under a previous Supreme Court ruling. The district court initially ruled against the 'good character' portion of the licensing scheme, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit stayed that order pending appeal. Srour appealed the stay to the Supreme Court, which has another case challenging New York's moral character requirement pending. Sotomayor denied Srour's request without comment and without referring the matter to the full court for consideration [9fd99fa1].
This decision by Justice Sotomayor allows New York City to continue denying gun licenses to individuals who do not meet the 'good moral character' requirement. The requirement takes into account factors such as prior arrests, driving history, and truthfulness on license applications. Mr. Srour's case argued that the regulations were unconstitutional, but the Supreme Court denied his request without comment. The ruling maintains the city's authority to reject gun license applications based on an individual's character [9fd99fa1].
In a recent incident, a U.S. marshal protecting Justice Sotomayor's home in Washington, D.C. shot an armed man attempting to carjack him. This incident has drawn attention to Sotomayor's history of opposing the right to bear arms for self-defense. The marshal's use of a firearm to protect himself highlights the importance of personal defense, especially in areas experiencing a crime wave like Washington, D.C. However, Justice Sotomayor does not support independent ownership of firearms for self-defense. This stance is in contrast to the right to self-defense, which includes the right to keep and bear arms for non-famous Americans. Many American adults own firearms for personal protection [75fb9d7e].