Attorney General James Releases Statement on Successful Defense of New York Gun Law

State Court of Appeals Rejected Challenges to Gun Possession Charges in Aftermath of SCOTUS Bruen Decision 

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement after her office successfully argued against Second Amendment challenges in six cases in the New York State Court of Appeals involving gun possession charges. The six cases involved individuals who tried to overturn charges of illegal possession of a weapon in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen. The New York State Court of Appeals declined to hear those Second Amendment challenges. 

“Gun safety laws protect New Yorkers and are commonsense tools in the fight against gun violence. Individuals who illegally possess a weapon are a threat to our communities and should be held accountable for the harm they pose. My office will always stand up to protect New Yorkers and defend the gun safety laws designed to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals.” 

The Court of Appeals issued decisions in six gun-related cases: David v. New York, Garcia v. New York, Cabrera v. New York, Rivera v. New York, Pastrana v. New York, and Telfair v. New York. In all six cases the court did not accept the plaintiff’s Second Amendment challenges, ruling in Attorney General James’ favor that those claims were not made in the lower courts and therefore could not be argued in the appellate court.