Judge Upholds Most of NY Gun Control Law

Chief U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny Washington Post A federal judge upheld most of New York’s new gun control law on Tuesday, rejecting arguments that its bans on large-capacity magazines and the sale of some semi-automatic rifles violate Second Amendment rights. Judge William Skretny in Buffalo concluded those provisions are constitutional because they’re related to achieving an “important governmental interest” in public safety. Those two features make guns more lethal, he wrote, citing testimony submitted in the case. The law “applies only to a subset of firearms with characteristics New York state has determined to be particularly dangerous and unnecessary for self-defense,” Skretny wrote. “It does not totally disarm New York’s citizens, and it does not meaningfully jeopardize their right to self-defense.” Skretny upheld the ban on magazines that hold more than 10 bullets, but he struck down a restriction on gun owners loading more than seven bullets in still legal 10-round magazines. He said that seven appears to be “an arbitrary number.”