A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday held that the federal government may not bar federally licensed gun dealers from selling handguns to law-abiding citizens under 21 years old, potentially setting up the issue for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide.<\/p>\n
The 2-1 decision by the Richmond, Va-.based Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marked the first time that such a high-level court so explicitly extended the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms to younger adults. The disagreement foreshadows a potential Supreme Court review.<\/p>\n
Despite the weighty interest in reducing crime and violence, we refuse to relegate either the Second Amendment or 18- to 20-year-olds to a second-class status, wrote Circuit Judge Julius N. Richardson, who was appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
The plaintiffs were two adults under 21 from Albemarle County, Va., who were prevented from buying handguns from a licensed dealer, including a 19-year-old woman who wanted protection from an abusive ex-boyfriend.<\/p>\n
In 2018, they filed suit challenging a federal law that limits federally licensed gun dealers from selling handguns and their ammunition to people under 21. Congress first enacted the restriction in the late 1960s, responding to a surge of violent crime committed by young people.<\/p>\n
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\nHandgun Sales to Young People Are Protected by Second Amendment, Court Rules - The Wall Street Journal<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"