Justice Department investigating Philadelphia for possible Second Amendment violations in gun permitting process
The City of Philadelphia and its police department are under a federal investigation for possible violations of the Second Amendment, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
The investigation is focused on the Philadelphia Police Department's policies and practices for issuing and revoking gun permits, and the standards used to cancel permits to carry firearms, DOJ said in a news release. The investigation is being handled by the Second Amendment Section of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division.
DOJ said Philadelphia police may be using a "good cause" standard — which the department called "vague, personal discretion" — when deciding whether or not to issue or revoke someone's gun permit.
Where the investigation stands
Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general in charge of the Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Mayor Cherelle Parker and other city officials, including Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel on Tuesday announcing the investigation.
The Second Amendment Section will seek to interview city and PPD officials, and people who have interacted with PPD in the past.
If the investigation finds the city committed Second Amendment violations, the city could then make a deal with the DOJ and establish a plan to remedy the violations, Dhillon wrote. If there's no resolution, the city could face litigation in federal court.
CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to Parker's office for comment, and we will update this story when we hear back.
What is the "good cause" standard?
The terms "good cause" or "proper cause" refer to gun laws across the nation that require applicants for gun permits to prove or demonstrate a need to protect themselves.
In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the "proper cause" standard when it ruled in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen — a case commonly abbreviated as "Bruen."
