MARYLAND - Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has filed a petition asking for a new hearing after a Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a Maryland gun licensing law was unconstitutional in November.
In a 2-1 decision, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on November 21st that Maryland’s licensing requirements to purchase a handgun unduly restricted the 2nd Amendment rights of Marylanders and made the decision based on recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings.
The lawsuit challenging the licensing law was filed in 2016, calling into question the necessity and Constitutional implications of the hours of safety training, fingerprinting, and background checks required to obtain a handgun license before purchasing one.
The appeals court decision drew heavy criticism from Governor Wes Moore and other Maryland Democrats. Moore has pledged to fight the decision, and the announcement from his Attorney General is the first step Moore’s administration has taken to challenge the ruling.
On Tuesday, AG Brown filed a petition requesting the case be taken up by the full 4th U.S. Circuit Court, which would put the decision before 15 judges instead of only 3.
“The Second Amendment does not prohibit states from enacting common-sense gun laws like Maryland’s handgun licensing law,” Brown said in a statement. “My office will continue to defend laws that are designed to protect Marylanders from gun violence.”