Van Dyke Calls For “Bench Slaps”

Ninth Circuit Judge Lawrence VanDyke just wrote a scorching 9-page dissent in Knife Rights Inc. v. Bonta — and Chuck Michel says it’s the most honest indictment of the Ninth Circuit in years.

The CRPA President & General Counsel joins CRPA TV to break down what VanDyke actually wrote, why it matters, and why the judge qualifies for “Second Amendment sainthood.”

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VanDyke’s dissent isn’t just about the knife rights case. It’s a 9-page indictment of the Ninth Circuit’s decades-long pattern of “judicial disobedience” on Second Amendment cases. His memorable framing: “Come hell or high water, Heller or Bruen, our court will find a way to uphold any weapons restriction that a liberal state can dream up.”

His prescription: “It’s time for some bench slaps” — meaning summary reversals from the Supreme Court. Chuck breaks down what a summary reversal actually looks like (spoiler: it’s more disrespectful than a normal reversal), why VanDyke can say what even CRPA’s lawyers can’t, and how this dissent could shape other cases now pending at SCOTUS.

Plus: Chuck’s prediction that VanDyke could be a Supreme Court short-lister, and why CRPA’s amicus brief on Viramontes will point to exactly this pattern of Ninth Circuit resistance.