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Maryland's motion to dismiss denied (Woollard)


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In sum, there is no ongoing state proceeding that warrants abstention under the Younger doctrine. Accordingly, I will deny the Defendants‘ Motion to Dismiss on this ground.6

 

It looks like the equal protection (14A) claim needs some more work.

 

Therefore, although I will grant Defendants‘ motion to dismiss Count II, I will permit Plaintiffs to file an amended complaint stating their equal protection claim with more particularity.

 

And the wheels keep turning...

Woollard:Maryland.pdf

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In sum, there is no ongoing state proceeding that warrants abstention under the Younger doctrine. Accordingly, I will deny the Defendants‘ Motion to Dismiss on this ground.6

 

It looks like the equal protection (14A) claim needs some more work.

 

Therefore, although I will grant Defendants‘ motion to dismiss Count II, I will permit Plaintiffs to file an amended complaint stating their equal protection claim with more particularity.

 

And the wheels keep turning...

 

Reading through the entire ruling leads one to get the idea that the Judge is starting to lean favorably on the Plantiff's side and that's good for us.

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Reading through the entire ruling leads one to get the idea that the Judge is starting to lean favorably on the Plantiff's side and that's good for us.

 

At this point of the process the Judge looks at the aspects of the claim and accepts them as factual. The denied motion to dismiss is obviously good as the claim that a 'fundamental' Second Amendment is being violated can proceed. The SAF/Gura also are getting another chance to put a better 14A (equal protection) claim together. So overall a win/win for the SAF & Gura.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...

MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN OPPOSITION TO DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

http://ia700101.us.archive.org/1/items/gov.uscourts.mdd.180772/gov.uscourts.mdd.180772.34.0.pdf

 

It's full of all kinds of Gura-goodness (e.g. "Nonetheless, Defendants and their amici persist in ignoring the two words appearing in the Second Amendment after “keep.” Their denial is not well-grounded.")

 

Here's the Conclusion:

Defendants’ arbitrary denial of Second Amendment rights must be enjoined. Defendants’

motion for summary judgment should be denied. Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment should be granted.

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If you don't read this whole thing ... at least read the summary of Gura's argument. I love the way he writes.

 

SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT

Defendants’ brief, and those of their amici, are remarkable in their treatment of adverse

controlling precedent, namely, Heller, Chester, and McDonald v. City of Chicago, 130 S. Ct.

3020 (2010). Time and again, the briefs assert arguments flatly foreclosed by these precedents.

Indeed, heavy reliance is placed on the dissenting opinions in these cases, and on the briefing

proffered on behalf of the losing side. Respectfully, Justice Breyer was not in the majority in

Heller, Judge Davis was not in the majority in Chester, and the amicus brief offered on behalf of

the City of Chicago in McDonald, by self-described historians, contained an imagined history of

the right to keep and bear arms that had been utterly rejected in Heller and not surprisingly,

proved incompatible with the prevailing opinions in McDonald.

 

Defendants expend great effort describing what they perceive as the uniquely

unacceptable harm that flows from handgun possession—an approach rejected in Heller and

McDonald. They suggest the availability of long arms ameliorates the impact of the handgun

regulations, another approach foreclosed by Heller. They suggest Justice Breyer’s dissenting

opinion in Heller was a “concurring” opinion that reflected the majority’s views with respect to

his interest-balancing approach, a topic that elicited exceptionally strong disagreement by the

majority. Blithely disregarding Heller’s contrary instruction, Defendants suggest the content of

Second Amendment rights must be determined by judicial evaluations of competing policy

claims.

 

Wishing that the Second Amendment would not contain a right to carry arms, Defendants

ignore the Supreme Court’s definition of the Second Amendment’s text, and improperly seek to

limit Heller and McDonald to their facts—an outcome also at odds with United States v. Miller,

307 U.S. 174 (1939). Defendants repeatedly emphasize that they may ban all concealed carrying

of handguns, but ignore both the qualified nature of that ability, and the fact that their carrying

law goes much further, to virtually ban all handgun carry—which the same precedent condemns

as unconstitutional.

 

Disregarding Heller, McDonald, and Chester, Defendants and their amici propose

disposing of this case using what amounts to, for all intents and purposes, the rational basis test

that these precedents prohibit. And they seek to avoid having their law treated like the prior

restraint which it undoubtedly is, because prior restraint has proven most suitable in First

Amendment cases—ignoring what is at least a strong suggestion by the Supreme Court, and the

unambiguous precedent of the Fourth Circuit—that First Amendment frameworks are suitable for

use in Second Amendment cases. That these have not been invoked by courts previously in

Second Amendment cases is merely a function of the fact that the Supreme Court has only

recognized the ability to sue state and local officials for Second Amendment violations since this

past June. It is far too early to declare the Second Amendment a dead letter, but it is never too

late to dispose of Maryland’s virtually complete infringement of the right to bear arms.

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  • 10 months later...

Woollard has prevailed (from calguns):

 

Quote:

"Because the ―good and substantial reason requirement is not reasonably adapted to a substantial government interest, the Court finds this portion of the Maryland law to be unconstitutional. Woollard is entitled to summary judgment."

 

Quote:

"A citizen may not be required to offer a ―good and substantial reason why he should be permitted to exercise his rights. The right‘s existence is all the reason he needs."

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This is great news. The tides are definitely turning.

 

In the event we see IL's ban struck down in court, rulings like this are going to be strong ammunition against the anti-rights crowd who will want to enact may-issue laws that require "good cause", and all kinds of other hoops.

It gives us an easy, clear, and definitive way to point to something and say "Nope, you can't do that and here's why". :woohoo:

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Sweet. I m really beginning to wonder if this fuss about handgun registration has something to do with them expecting HB148 to pass or be forced to allow concealed carry (so they're doing something they are hoping they can pass and call it a "win" when they talk to their crazed anti-self-defense audience. )

 

 

............................you think?

 

House Bill 148 will become the law of Illinois this legislative season

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Sweet. I m really beginning to wonder if this fuss about handgun registration has something to do with them expecting HB148 to pass or be forced to allow concealed carry (so they're doing something they are hoping they can pass and call it a "win" when they talk to their crazed anti-self-defense audience. )

 

A while ago I emailed all the anti HB148 reps basically telling them that either we get a permit system via HB148 or we get open and concealed carry with no permitting system at all via Shepard and Moore.

 

I never got any response except for one cookie cutter reply from Barrios.

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Sweet. I m really beginning to wonder if this fuss about handgun registration has something to do with them expecting HB148 to pass or be forced to allow concealed carry (so they're doing something they are hoping they can pass and call it a "win" when they talk to their crazed anti-self-defense audience. )

 

I agree. My guess is the legislators in IL are loading up bills on both sides with the gun registration being a key way to at least say to anti-gun advocates that they are at least tracking guns. Allows them to come away with something. I am not opposed to gun registration. I have nothing to hide. I am sure it's being tracked somewhere anyway. The confiscation issue doesn't matter to me because if it comes to that point, there will be much bigger issues to worry about.

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I agree. My guess is the legislators in IL are loading up bills on both sides with the gun registration being a key way to at least say to anti-gun advocates that they are at least tracking guns. Allows them to come away with something. I am not opposed to gun registration. I have nothing to hide. I am sure it's being tracked somewhere anyway. The confiscation issue doesn't matter to me because if it comes to that point, there will be much bigger issues to worry about.

 

Registration is an invasion of privacy and it is not needed. Current laws already facilitate police to track the source of a gun provided the transfers were done within the requirements of the law. Gun registration laws will suffer the same weakness. It will require people to follow the law.

 

All gun control laws must be defeated. No compromises. No ifs, ands, or buts. Each new control law is one step closer to obliterating the second amendmant.

 

I would hope you reconsider your position.

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A friend of mine had a visit from the ATF several years ago. He was one of the legal owners of IIRC a shotgun that was later used in a robbery. He bought and later sold it legaly and three or four owners later it fell into bad company. There was no problem for my friend when he still had the required FOID info. Guns can be traced now no reason for more layers of !* for legal gun owners.

 

No new laws! No compromize! Jim.

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How binding is this particular court's decision to Maryland as a whole?

 

It is in the District Court, so is not binding.

 

 

Since this a US Court ("IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND") wouldn't it carry some weight on the state as a whole, assuming that the decision was not appealed?

 

Regards, Drd

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How binding is this particular court's decision to Maryland as a whole?

 

It is in the District Court, so is not binding.

 

 

Since this a US Court ("IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND") wouldn't it carry some weight on the state as a whole, assuming that the decision was not appealed?

 

Regards, Drd

As a practical matter it has little meaning just yet as MD is appealing it. It is another step forward though.

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Sweet. I m really beginning to wonder if this fuss about handgun registration has something to do with them expecting HB148 to pass or be forced to allow concealed carry (so they're doing something they are hoping they can pass and call it a "win" when they talk to their crazed anti-self-defense audience. )

 

I agree. My guess is the legislators in IL are loading up bills on both sides with the gun registration being a key way to at least say to anti-gun advocates that they are at least tracking guns. Allows them to come away with something. I am not opposed to gun registration. I have nothing to hide. I am sure it's being tracked somewhere anyway. The confiscation issue doesn't matter to me because if it comes to that point, there will be much bigger issues to worry about.

 

 

 

</sarcasm >- Me neither! </sarcasm off> Nope, I'll register my gun just as soon as they tell me exactly how many guns are held by the gangbangers and show me a 10 year study PROVING that firearm registration actually reduced crime and helped to solve more than 50% of the crimes committed using a registered gun.

 

On second thought, that (gangbanger registration) will never happen. You see, the court has held that a criminal, being forbidden to own a gun, isn't bound by registration laws because if he registered a gun that he owned illegally, it would violate his 5th amendment right to not be forced to self incriminate. So, all the good guys register their guns, the criminals don't have to because of the 5th amendment, but the registration laws are used to violate my 2nd amendment rights. Think on that before you say your "not opposed to gun registration."

 

Read history. ALL confiscation schemes have been preceded by a registration program. The 4473 at the FFL's office is bad enough. They can and have been used to track guns that were used in crimes.

 

How about we quit trying to prevent crime by regulating THINGS and we start serving out real punishment to the PEOPLE that break the law??

 

AB

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Sweet. I m really beginning to wonder if this fuss about handgun registration has something to do with them expecting HB148 to pass or be forced to allow concealed carry (so they're doing something they are hoping they can pass and call it a "win" when they talk to their crazed anti-self-defense audience. )

 

I agree. My guess is the legislators in IL are loading up bills on both sides with the gun registration being a key way to at least say to anti-gun advocates that they are at least tracking guns. Allows them to come away with something. I am not opposed to gun registration. I have nothing to hide. I am sure it's being tracked somewhere anyway. The confiscation issue doesn't matter to me because if it comes to that point, there will be much bigger issues to worry about.

 

 

 

</sarcasm >- Me neither! </sarcasm off> Nope, I'll register my gun just as soon as they tell me exactly how many guns are held by the gangbangers and show me a 10 year study PROVING that firearm registration actually reduced crime and helped to solve more than 50% of the crimes committed using a registered gun.

 

On second thought, that (gangbanger registration) will never happen. You see, the court has held that a criminal, being forbidden to own a gun, isn't bound by registration laws because if he registered a gun that he owned illegally, it would violate his 5th amendment right to not be forced to self incriminate. So, all the good guys register their guns, the criminals don't have to because of the 5th amendment, but the registration laws are used to violate my 2nd amendment rights. Think on that before you say your "not opposed to gun registration."

 

Read history. ALL confiscation schemes have been preceded by a registration program. The 4473 at the FFL's office is bad enough. They can and have been used to track guns that were used in crimes.

 

How about we quit trying to prevent crime by regulating THINGS and we start serving out real punishment to the PEOPLE that break the law??

 

AB

 

 

 

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!! TO abolt243. Any gun is nothing more than a tool! In the wrong hands a hammer or screwdriver are deadly weapons. What's next? Will I have to register my Snap On Tools?

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We are preaching to the choir here. This is the message we need to spread to the fence sitters or other "mildly negative toward guns" crowd. It's a waste to try to convince the extreme antis such as my rep. Ann Williams. (Though I keep trying.)

 

Get a big enough meeting together in her district and she will come around. Don't give up just yet. Votes count! Ooops! :) This is Chicago we are talking about. They count over and over...... Good luck!

 

Regards, Drd

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I'm just speculating here...

 

But I really don't think you're going to find a lot of die-hard anti-rights gun-grabbers in Williams' district. I think that's her personal agenda.

 

My guess is that people keep electing her for other reasons, and they don't feel strongly enough about protecting their right to self defense (especially since they live in a pretty solidly white upper/upper-middle class enclave with low crime rates). So when they hear about her crusades to end legal gun ownership, they shrug and say "ok, whatever."

 

Like with most anti-rights politicians, she's not doing it because her constituents *want* it, but because they don't despise it enough to do anything to stop her.

 

So like most things, you need to get enough people in the neighborhood riled up enough to make her worry about her footing in the next primary. It may be an uphill battle, but it's never impossible (except maybe in oak park and/or san francisco).

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