U.S. Supreme Court justices signaled they are poised to rule that most people have a constitutional right to carry a handgun outside the home, casting doubt on a New York law that requires a special justification to get a permit.
Hearing arguments in Washington Wednesday, the court’s six conservatives indicated they will back a National Rifle Association affiliate and two people who say the state is violating their Second Amendment rights. The state issues concealed-carry licenses only to those who can show a particular need for protection.
“Why isn’t it good enough to say I live in a violent area, and I want to be able to defend myself?” asked Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
A broad ruling could mean more guns in public places in some of the most populous U.S. cities, including New York and Los Angeles. New York is one of about seven states -- including California, Massachusetts and New Jersey -- with so-called “may issue” laws that gun-rights advocates say prevent most people from getting a carry license. Illinois and the District of Columbia also had sharp restrictions before their laws were invalidated in court.
Two other conservatives suggested they would leave room for states to bar guns from “sensitive places.” Justice Amy Coney Barrett said that could include Times Square on New Year’s Eve while Chief Justice John Roberts indicated he would allow gun bans at sports stadiums.
But Roberts pushed back when New York Solicitor General Barbara Underwood said that unrestricted carry licenses were “much more readily available” in rural parts of the state.