WASHINGTON (CBS/WBOC) - The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a New York gun law enacted more than a century ago that places restrictions on carrying a concealed handgun outside the home.
“Because the State of New York issues public-carry licenses only when an applicant demonstrates a special need for self-defense, we conclude that the State’s licensing regime violates the Constitution,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the court’s 6-3 majority.
The opinion changes the framework that lower courts will use going forward as they analyze other gun restrictions, which could include the proposals currently before Congress if they eventually become law.
In a statement, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said the decision "means more deaths and more pain in a country already awash in gun violence.
“If the norm is that people can carry firearms, our neighborhoods, our streets and other public places will become more dangerous,” he said. “It will make the lives of law enforcement more difficult and more perilous. The epidemic of gun violence sweeping our nation demonstrates daily the folly of introducing more guns into this boiling cauldron.”
Frosh said his office will examine Thursday's ruling to determine if it has any impact on Maryland’s gun laws. Gun owners wishing to obtain a wear and carry permit in the state must secure a license through the Maryland State Police, a process that involves submitting fingerprints and completing a firearms training course.
State law appears to have a similar provision to New York’s, saying applicants should have a “good and substantial reason to wear, carry, or transport a handgun, such as finding that the permit is necessary as a reasonable precaution against danger,” according to the Maryland State Police website.
Applicants between the ages of 18 and 21 can only obtain a wear and carry permit if it is required as part of their job.
Anyone convicted of a drug possession crime or received a prison sentence of one year or more for a felony or misdemeanor cannot get a permit, according to the Maryland State Police website.