MARYLAND - The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to reconsider the legality of Maryland’s Handgun License Law that it had previously struck down in a 2-1 decision.
All 15 judges of the Appeals Court will now hear the case as opposed to only the 3 judges who initially ruled on it. The 2-1 majority opinion in November found the licensing law to be unconstitutional.
The law, requires Marylanders to obtain a handgun qualification license in order to purchase a handgun. Obtaining that license involves submitting fingerprints, undergoing a background check, and taking a firearm safety course.
In December, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown filed a petition asking for a new hearing before the full Appeals Court after the 3 judge panel made their ruling. The Court granted that petition yesterday, January 11th.
“The ongoing gun violence plaguing our streets and our communities continues to take innocent lives and tear families apart,” said Attorney General Brown. “I welcome the court’s decision to rehear this case and will continue to defend common-sense gun laws to protect Marylanders from these unnecessary and very preventable tragedies. Hopes and wishes do not take guns off our streets, but common-sense gun safety laws do.”