California Gun Case Against May Issue
Attorneys for the California Rifle and Pistol Association Foundation and several individual plaintiffs recently filed an amended Complaint in U.S. District Court in San Diego challenging San Diego Sheriff William Gore’s policies in issuing permits to carry concealed firearms. The lawsuit alleges that San Diego’s policies are illegal and unconstitutional in multiple respects, one of which is that they infringe of the fundamental individual right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment. The lawsuit seeks to stop San Diego’s arbitrary and capricious denial of permits to law abiding county residents.
The case challenges the application of California Penal Code section 12050, which allows a sheriff or police chief to issue a permit where “the person applying is of good moral character, that good cause exists for the issuance,” and that the person is a resident of that county. Under this law, sheriffs and chiefs of police often implement subjective standards for “good cause,” as well as residency requirements that are not constitutionally permissible. The Complaint was originally filed in October 2009 by a local activist. It survived a motion brought by the County to dismiss the case. In the Order denying that motion, the Judge confirmed that the constitutional claims were valid, and that the County’s arbitrary permit issuance policy may very well be unconstitutional. The amended Complaint adds both more plaintiffs and more legal claims for relief.
