BREAKING: CRPA Files SCOTUS Cert Petition To Protect Gun Shows
California’s petty attempt to undercut “gun culture” by eliminating gun shows ignores serious conflicts with both the First and Second Amendments, justified by phantom claims of “protecting public safety”. CRPA has fought these bans every step of the way. Today, we bring the case to the highest court in the land.
“Our Crossroads of the West and CRPA plaintiffs had no choice but to ask the Supreme Court to correct the Ninth Circuit’s misguided decision to ignore the law of what speech is constitutionally protected and completely ignore the Supreme Court’s directive in Bruen,” stated CRPA President & General Counsel Chuck Michel. “We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will see the merit of our positions and grant cert to protect the rights of tens of thousands of lawful gun owners in California to assemble and enjoy the comradery and benefits of gun shows.”
Attorney Anna Barvir stopped in to chat with CRPA TV host Kevin Small to provide some perspective on the filing. Watch CRPA TV NOW!
CRPA filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court requesting their consideration of the case of B&L Productions, Inc. v. Newsom. The lead plaintiff in the case, more commonly known as Crossroads of the West, has been barred from producing shows on state-owned lands such as fairgrounds for several years. The state falsely claimed firearms acquired at gun shows were disproportionately used in crimes as the motivation for the ban.
CRPA immediately challenged the law in court and the case has followed a circuitous, and often confusing, path ever since. In June a ruling by the Ninth Circuit upholding the ban employed some curious logic to skirt right around the fact that the law even confronted the First and Second Amendments. They held that an offer to sell a firearm was an “expressive” act covered by the First Amendment, but that the act of agreeing to purchase it was NOT an expressive act.
The Ninth Circuit court went on to dismiss the Second Amendment challenge by, ironically, quoting the Bruen decision as requiring a finding that the law in question relates to conduct covered by the Second Amendment. The court then explains that while the Constitution conveys the right to “keep and bear arms”, it does not speak to protecting one’s right to actually purchase them. And with that, the first two articles of the Bill of Rights are dispensed with and a law prohibiting the exercise of fundamental rights was upheld.
The CRPA has worked alongside the Asian Pacific American Gun Owners Association, Second Amendment Law Center, and Second Amendment Foundation in this case. As we’ve noted many times, cases that impact the manner in which Bruen is applied, regardless of where they begin, are critical to all corners of the country.
PLEASE HELP us push this critical battle forward! Your contributions fuel this effort…please consider making a donation today!