Today, a federal district court entered a judgment enjoining California from enforcing a law that bans marketing firearms in "a manner attractive to minors." SCI, along with coalition partners the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation, and youth shooting club So Cal Top Guns, challenged the law in a case supported by the National Rifle Association of America. The plaintiffs alleged concerns that the law would chill lawful and healthy youth hunting and shooting activities.
Previously, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that California's law violated the First Amendment by overly restricting lawful speech without advancing the State's asserted goal of reducing gun violence by minors.
"SCI has twice celebrated court orders holding that California's law is wrong, does not advance the state's so-called public safety goals, and infringes lawful and protected speech. It is past time for California to admit its mistakes and stop restricting the rights of those who support hunting and shooting," said W. Laird Hamberlin, Chief Executive Officer of SCI.
The district court approved a settlement agreement declaring that the California law is void in its entirety, barring California from enforcing the law, and requiring the State to pay nearly $500,000 in attorneys' fees.