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Federal Judge: Ban on Purchase of Handguns by 18-20-Year-Old Citizens is Unconstitutional
AmmoLand ^ | May 22, 2023 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 05/24/2023 4:37:46 AM PDT by marktwain

On May 10th, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division, Judge Robert S. Payne published an opinion in the federal statutes and regulations which ban 18-20-Year-old citizens from purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers is facially unconstitutional.

The decision was rendered in the case Fraser v ATF. The case is a lawsuit brought by four young citizens between the ages of 18 and 20.  The case was initially filed on June 22, 2022, just as the famous Supreme Court opinion in Bruen was published.  Motions to dismiss the case and for summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs were filed on November 30 and December 15, respectively.

Judge Payne denied the ATF motion to dismiss the case and granted summary judgment to the plaintiffs.

Judge Payne found several facts in his route to the opinion, which was heavily based on the direction given by Justice Thomas in the Bruen decision.

First, the ban on purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers directly infringes on the rights protected by the Second Amendment.  It is a “blanket age-based restriction.” The government did not contest this fact.

Judge Payne found the plaintiffs have standing, in part, because the Second Amendment, unlike other Amendments in the Bill of Rights contains the phrase “shall not be infringed”.


(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: 2a; age; banglist; va
Federal Judge Robert S. Payne found there was no historical record of banning the sale of handguns to people aged 18-20.
1 posted on 05/24/2023 4:37:46 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Ever notice that EVERYTHING the Left wants to do is unconstitutional?


2 posted on 05/24/2023 4:55:53 AM PDT by Brooklyn Attitude (I went to bed on November 3rd 2020 and woke up in 1984.)
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To: marktwain

There is the minor issue of the armed forces issuing and training personnel 18 to 20 years of age to use pistols in the performance of their duty.


3 posted on 05/24/2023 4:58:59 AM PDT by 17th Miss Regt ( )
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To: marktwain

Of course it is. At 18 they are legal adults. What other constitutional rights can you deny adult citizens?

None.

It should be a no brainer that you can’t deny them either.


4 posted on 05/24/2023 5:19:59 AM PDT by FLT-bird
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To: FLT-bird
The Constitutional Amendment to move the age of adulthood to 18 was a bad idea. They whole point of the amendment was to create a class of voters, particularly in universities, who would be reliable Democratic voters.

It created a whole set of Leftist University towns that are incubators of Progressive policies, theories, and activism.

That was the idea.

5 posted on 05/24/2023 5:27:31 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain
It created a whole set of Leftist University towns that are incubators of Progressive policies, theories, and activism.

It worked as planned. Almost all colleges are now a cesspool of Marxist indoctrination by left wing radical professors. And yet parents still don't see a problem with it.

Oh well, not my money they are wasting.

6 posted on 05/24/2023 5:44:13 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal the 16th Amendment)
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To: marktwain

Well, there is at least one judge out there with some common sense. Toddlers can now sit in a bar watching a bunch of perverts dressed up like hookers read bedtime stories but they can’t buy a gun? What kind of commie crap is that? No wonder the new “american” males are a bunch of selfie taking sissy boys with “man buns”.


7 posted on 05/24/2023 5:54:44 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Since O'Bama was ruling the roost, America has gone from melting pot to septic tank of the world.)
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To: marktwain

No question it benefitted Democrats.

But.....how do you tell people old enough to be drafted that they’re not old enough to vote?


8 posted on 05/24/2023 6:05:04 AM PDT by FLT-bird
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To: marktwain
Federal Judge: Ban on Purchase of Handguns by 18-20-Year-Old Citizens is Unconstitutional

That pesky Constitution causes so much trouble, especially with Mostly Peaceful Rioting, Looting and Arson.

9 posted on 05/24/2023 6:25:15 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Celebrate Decivilization)
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To: marktwain; Chode; SkyDancer; Salamander; Carriage Hill; Lockbox; MtnClimber; nascarnation; ...
Judge Payne found the plaintiffs have standing, in part, because the Second Amendment, unlike other Amendments in the Bill of Rights contains the phrase “shall not be infringed”.

Thank You God !!! A Judge that can READ & COMPREHEND SIMPLE ENGLISH !!!! 🔫

10 posted on 05/24/2023 6:36:31 AM PDT by mabarker1 ( (Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! A fraud, a hypocrite, a liar. I'm a member of Congress!!!)
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To: mabarker1

+1!


11 posted on 05/24/2023 6:38:25 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Celebrate Decivilization)
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To: marktwain

The constitution says what it says, and it doesn’t say what it doesn’t say.


12 posted on 05/24/2023 6:40:49 AM PDT by Delta 21 (MAGA Republican is my pronoun.)
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To: mabarker1

Well, that ONE in a row.


13 posted on 05/24/2023 6:45:58 AM PDT by Carriage Hill (A society grows great when old men plant trees, in whose shade they know they will never sit.)
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To: FLT-bird
But.....how do you tell people old enough to be drafted that they’re not old enough to vote?

Perhaps by saying you have the ability to defend your country with force before you have gained the wisdom and perspective to be able to vote wisely.

The ability to vote is much more dangerous than the ability to have and use a firearm.

The founders understood this. Political philosophers have understood this for millenium.

It is not a difficult concept.

14 posted on 05/24/2023 6:55:12 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain
Perhaps by saying you have the ability to defend your country with force before you have gained the wisdom and perspective to be able to vote wisely.

If you're old enough to bear the responsibilities of citizenship, you're old enough to exercise the full rights of citizenship.

15 posted on 05/24/2023 7:46:53 AM PDT by FLT-bird
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To: mabarker1

we’ll see...


16 posted on 05/24/2023 9:34:39 AM PDT by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
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To: marktwain
The article didn't specify if he dismissed the suit with or without prejudice. That would have bearing on the ATF being able to refile.
17 posted on 05/24/2023 11:34:46 AM PDT by zeugma (Stop deluding yourself that America is still a free country.)
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To: marktwain

As usual, Ammoland publishes a direct link to the decision itself. Kudos, and a “great job” to ammoland!


18 posted on 05/24/2023 11:38:03 AM PDT by zeugma (Stop deluding yourself that America is still a free country.)
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I would also like to make note of the fact that the Judge also made a really good analysis of the word "infringe" beginning on page 19 of the decision

Not simply protecting the heartland of the preserved right, the Second Amendment protects the environs surrounding it to prevent any encroachment upon the core protections. Thus, by virtue of the word "infringed" the Second Amendment's protectective textual embrace includes the conduct necessary to exercise the right ("to keep and bear"), and that, as explained above includes the right to purchase arms so that one may keep and bear them.

19 posted on 05/24/2023 12:08:20 PM PDT by zeugma (Stop deluding yourself that America is still a free country.)
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To: zeugma
Once more commenting to self. I've been reading through the decision as time allows...

Pretty well-written IMO.

It is not until page 42 that the court finally got to the fact that an 18 year old was, in fact expected to serve in the militia, and provide his own musket and ammo for same. While it is not necessary to me a militia member in order for the 2nd Amendment to apply to you, it is very telling that when the 2nd Amendment was adopted, 18 year olds were obviously expected to be able to obtain and own firearms as required for militia service. I kept waiting for that penny to drop as I read, and wasn't disappointed. This argument, all by itself is all you need, given the way Bruen was written (brilliantly, IMO)

Further, at p 47, the judge notes ...

In the decade following the ratification of the Second Amendment, however, congress and every state in the Union passed a militia law requiring almost all able-bodied white men between the ages of 18 and 45 to serve in the militia.

The underline is in the original, BTW.

Again, in light of Bruen, this is extremely powerful.

20 posted on 05/24/2023 1:20:47 PM PDT by zeugma (Stop deluding yourself that America is still a free country.)
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