Ninth Circuit ‘reaffirms’ 2nd Amendment rights for young people

(CN) — Touting the heroism of young patriots who died fighting in the Revolutionary War, a Ninth Circuit panel declared Wednesday that the Second Amendment protects the rights of young adults to keep and bear arms — reversing a lower court judge’s decision upholding a California law barring young adults from buying semiautomatic rifles.

“America would not exist without the heroism of the young adults who fought and died in our revolutionary army. Today we reaffirm that our Constitution still protects the right that enabled their sacrifice: the right of young adults to keep and bear arms, ” Donald Trump appointee U.S.
Circuit Judge Ryan Nelson wrote for the panel, which split on the issue of whether California’s prohibition on semiautomatic rifle sales to young people unduly burdens the Second Amendment.

Matthew Jones, a resident of the San Diego suburb of Santee, challenged the regulations alongside Vista resident Thomas Furth and several gun shops and pro-gun advocacy groups like Second Amendment Foundation and Calguns Foundation.

Nelson and U.S. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lee, also a Trump appointee, found U.S. District Judge M. James Lorenz should have blocked California’s ban on the sale of semiautomatic rifles to those between the ages of 18 and 21 except for some law enforcement officers and active-duty military servicemembers.