Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to strict Maryland gun licensing law
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday turned back a challenge to a strict gun licensing law in Maryland.
The high court declined to hear the case in a brief order handed down without elaboration, as is typical.
The challengers argued that the handgun law violates the Second Amendment by making it too hard for people to get guns. The law, passed after the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, requires people to get safety training, submit fingerprints and pass a background check before buying a handgun. The state says those are reasonable safety measures.
The law was struck down by a three-judge appeals court panel after a landmark 2022 Supreme Court ruling that expanded gun rights and said firearm laws must have strong roots in the country's historic traditions. It was later revived, though, by the full 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The majority found that it does fit within historic firearm regulations.
In May 2024, the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Maryland's ban on assault weapons, leaving the law in effect as legal proceedings played out.
Maryland cracks down on gun violence
Maryland leaders have cracked down on gun violence in recent years. In May, Governor Wes Moore signed a bill creating a new statewide gun violence prevention center.
The first-of-its-kind Center for Firearm Violence Prevention was created after the White House urged states to form their own teams to address gun violence. It is part of the Maryland Health Department in an effort to approach the problem from a public health perspective.
During that time, the governor also signed a measure enabling state and local officials to hold the firearm industry accountable in civil court. Another bill expanded the definition of a "rapid fire trigger activator" to include Glock switches, effectively banning them in the state.
In September 2024, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb in a lawsuit against three Maryland gun shops, alleging they sold dozens of firearms to a man who trafficked them around the District.
In December 2024, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general to hold the firearm industry accountable for its impact on gun violence.
"Gun violence tears our communities apart and threatens Maryland families' safety," Attorney General Brown said. "The companies that make up the firearms industry must do their part to help us address this life-threatening epidemic."
In June 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General declared gun violence a public health crisis, citing the growing number of injuries and deaths involving firearms.
The Associated Press and CBS News Baltimore contributed to this article
