Free Republic

A Trump-appointed judge issued a blow Thursday night to a New York State gun law that barred guns in places of worship. The Democrat-led legislature in New York passed a series of laws in September aimed at restricting concealed carry after the Supreme Court overturned a statute requiring individuals to show “proper cause” in order to obtain a concealed carry permit. One such restriction barred firearms in places of worship and “sensitive” areas. Two clerics and several gun rights organizations sued, asking for an injunction until the court could hear the merits of the case. Pastor Jimmie Hardaway of Trinity...

The Empire State's latest gun-control law was dealt another setback in federal court today. Judge John Sinatra of the Western District of New York, a Trump appointee, found the state's total ban on licensed gun-carry inside places of worship is unconstitutional. He issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the provision to go into effect immediately and remain in effect until he decides on a request for a preliminary injunction. Judge Sinatra said the state's gun ban in churches violates the Second Amendment rights of New Yorkers...

A federal judge in New York has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a “Christian” wedding photographer who demanded that the state’s nondiscrimination law be overturned, lest she be forced to photograph same-sex weddings. The woman, Emilee Carpenter, of Elmira, filed suit earlier this year, claiming that New York’s nondiscrimination law violates her First Amendment rights to free speech and free exercise of religion, and her Fourteenth Amendment right to due process. Carpenter claims to believe that marriage is a union between one man and one woman, and that weddings are meant to be “inherently religious and solemn events.” As such,...

A federal judge has ruled that a New York-based Christian photographer must provide services for same-sex wedding celebrations despite holding religious objections to gay marriage. Judge Frank Geraci, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, rejected a request by Emilee Carpenter of the upstate New York-based Emilee Carpenter Photography to grant a preliminary injunction against a state anti-discrimination law. In his ruling Monday, the Obama appointee concluded that “New York has a compelling interest in ensuring that individuals, without regard to sexual orientation, have equal access to publicly available goods and services, and that...

A federal court in Buffalo has weighed on the side of music venues and musicians who oppose Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus-related restrictions on live music....At issue are Cuomo’s orders, enforced by the State Liquor Authority, that prohibit venues with liquor licenses from selling tickets or using cover charges for live entertainment, and ban advertising for such shows. The rules permit only music that is “incidental” to a dining experience, not the main draw. The most recent ruling came in a case filed by Buffalo guitarist Michael Hund. He argued the rules are unconstitutional and keep him from earning a living....