Louisiana Joins 22 Other
States In Legal Brief at U.S. Supreme Court
BATON ROUGE, LA – Attorney General Jeff Landry has
joined Louisiana to a coalition of 23 states in filing an amicus brief in New York State Rifle
and Pistol Association v. Corlett at the United States Supreme Court.
Attorney General Landry and his colleagues argue that
permitting law-abiding citizens to carry firearms in self-defense outside the
home respects their fundamental rights and deters violent crime. Their legal brief notes that
"subjective-issue permitting regimes," such as those in New York and
other states, infringe on a citizen’s Second Amendment right to bear arms in
self-defense outside the home. The brief also argues, citing empirical
evidence, that subjective-issue permitting decreases safety and deprives
citizens of a means to defend themselves from crime.
"Every American has a God-given, fundamental right
to self-defense; whether a person is inside or outside his home has no bearing
on that right," said Attorney General Landry. “New York’s restrictive
policies decrease public safety and violate the Second Amendment."
42 states have objective-issue, or “shall-issue”,
permitting regimes - meaning permits are issued to applicants that meet
objective criteria (i.e. background check, mental health records check,
fingerprinting, knowledge of applicable laws, firearms training, etc.).
However, in addition to these objective criteria, New York requires an
applicant "demonstrate a special need for self-protection distinguishable
from that of the general community or of persons engaged in the same
profession."
Attorney General Landry and his colleagues contend that
this extra requirement violates the very core of the Second Amendment, which
secures every law-abiding American’s right to carry a firearm in self-defense.
They are urging the Supreme Court to reaffirm the original public meaning of
the Second Amendment, allowing citizens to keep and bear arms for self-defense
outside of their homes.
Joining Louisiana, Arizona, and Missouri in this
legal brief are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Idaho,
Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.
