A federal appeals court recently ruled Minnesota's age restriction for concealed carry permits unconstitutional, impacting those 18 to 20 years old.
The Reload reported that the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Minnesota law that set 21 as the minimum age for obtaining a concealed carry permit. This ruling, issued just last Tuesday, reshapes the landscape of gun rights in the state, aligning with broader national discussions on the Second Amendment and public safety.
Judge Duane Benton, the author of the decision in the case titled Worth v. Jacobson, pointed out the Supreme Court's recent stance in U.S. v. Rahimi which influenced their reasoning.
Benton argued that the Second Amendment's coverage does not exclude those who are 18 to 20 years old from carrying firearms in public for self-defense.
The State of Minnesota defended its law by referencing historical regulations such as the Militia Act of 1792 and college rules from the founding era.
However, the court found these analogies insufficient to justify the contemporary age restrictions. Judge Benton elaborated that Minnesota's evidence did not satisfactorily demonstrate that the nation's tradition of firearm regulation aligned with such an age-based carry ban.
In 2003, Minnesota transitioned to a "shall-issue" system for concealed carry permits, during which the age for applicants was raised from 18 to 21. This increase has been in place until now, contested by gun-rights proponents who argued it infringed upon the constitutional rights of young adults.
The legal challenge to this age requirement was spearheaded in 2021 by a coalition of gun-rights groups, seeing initial success in April when a District Court ruled in their favor. This latest appellate ruling confirms the lower court's decision, marking the first federal appeals court ruling on a Second Amendment issue since the Supreme Court's recent decision.
Gun rights groups like the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus and the Firearms Policy Coalition have hailed this decision as a significant victory. Brandon Combs, President of the FPC, stated, "This decision confirms that age-based firearm bans are flatly unconstitutional." Bryan Strawser, Chair of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, echoed this sentiment.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison now faces the choice of appealing the decision further. The ruling has stirred considerable debate about the balance between constitutional rights and public safety, particularly concerning younger adults.
Judge Benton's ruling emphasized that "Minnesota has not met its burden to proffer sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption that 18 to 20-year-olds seeking to carry handguns in public for self-defense are protected by the right to keep and bear arms." He further noted that the Second Amendment does not specify an age limit, thereby including young adults as rightful bearers of arms.
His decision stressed the fundamental right to self-defense, saying, “The Carry Ban…violates the Second Amendment as applied to Minnesota through the Fourteenth Amendment, and, thus, is unconstitutional.” Benton's rulings challenge the notion that younger adults are inherently more dangerous if allowed to carry firearms.
This case represents a pivotal moment in the ongoing national debate over gun rights and age restrictions.
The judgment reflects an evolving interpretation of the Second Amendment, increasingly recognizing the rights of younger Americans.
In conclusion, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has asserted a clear stance on the rights of young adults to bear arms, impacting both state and national firearms policies.
This decision not only supports the Second Amendment rights of 18-to-20-year-olds but also sets a precedent for future legal interpretations regarding age-based restrictions on gun ownership.