Supreme Court Upholds 1994 Federal Law Banning Guns for Domestic Abusers in 8-1 Decision

Jun 21, 2024, 02:37 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a federal law that prohibits individuals under domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms. The ruling, which was decided by an 8-1 vote, marks a significant decision in the Court's interpretation of the Second Amendment. Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion, while Justice Clarence Thomas was the lone dissenter. The decision reverses a previous ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and is seen as a victory for the Biden administration. This ruling upholds provisions of a 1994 law aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence and may unsettle the Court's prior Bruen decision, which expanded gun rights in 2022. The case in question is U.S. v. Rahimi.