(ReliableNews.org) – According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, around 20 people per minute are physically abused by their partners in America — that’s over 10 million domestic violence victims (DV) per year. Adding a gun to the situation increases the odds of DV homicide by 500%. Currently, a case sits at the Supreme Court level regarding this very issue. It centers around whether or not a person accused of DV or with a record of domestic violence should be able to possess a gun while the case makes its way through the courts. So far, it seems that SCOTUS justices could rule in favor of seizing guns in those cases.
What Happened?
On November 7, Fox News reported that the High Court appeared to be leaning toward supporting a federal law that bans guns from people with domestic violence restraining orders (DVROs). US v. Rahimi is about a Texas man, Zackey Rahimi, who had such an order against him but still wanted to retain his gun to protect himself. According to the case, Rahimi was a drug dealer who abused his girlfriend in a parking lot. When he noticed a witness nearby, he retrieved his weapon and fired a round at that person. While he was distracted, the girlfriend escaped but claimed Rahimi subsequently threatened her with the gun. She filed a restraining order, which was granted.
The court also pulled Rahimi’s handgun license and told him that possessing the weapon while there was an active DVRO was a federal crime. He not only defied the order but went on to commit weapons offenses. After his arrest, he argued that the stipulation regarding guns violated his Second Amendment rights. The issue made its way to the Supreme Court.
SCOTUS Words and Next Steps
During the discussion at SCOTUS, Justice Elena Kagan asked for clarification regarding the defendant’s argument that he should have access to guns. She said it’s “obvious” that people with a “history of domestic violence” or mental illness shouldn’t have guns. On the other hand, Chief Justice John Roberts showed concern about disarming people and warned that if the court isn’t careful, their decision could keep guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens. He took issue with the broadness of the word “responsibility” and its relativeness. Still, Roberts appeared concerned about Rahimi’s violent record.
The underlying issue before the court is whether the right to bear arms should extend to those who pose a danger to society. A decision from the court is expected by the summer of 2024.
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