Federal Judge Rolls Back Key Parts Of New York’s Times Square Gun Ban

A federal judge on Thursday halted key provisions of New York’s gun law to restrict where law-abiding citizens can carry firearms in public. 

In a 53-page ruling, Judge Glenn Suddaby of the Northern District said the state’s increasing location-specific bans of where concealed guns can’t be carried were trampling the constitutional right to bear arms for New Yorkers. He said his decision would go into effect on the third business day, allowing defendants a chance to seek an emergency appeal. 

“Simply stated, instead of moving toward becoming a shall-issue jurisdiction, New York State has further entrenched itself as a shall-not-issue jurisdiction. And, by doing so, it has further reduced a first-class constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense… into a mere request,” Suddaby wrote. 

The ruling would still ban concealed firearms from sensitive areas, such as government buildings, education facilities, and places of worship, but the judge said the state couldn’t ban guns from public places like Times Square. 

This lawsuit was bought by Gun Owners of America after the landmark 6-3 Supreme Court ruling this summer that changed New York from a may-issue state to a shall-issue state, which state leaders then unleashed sweeping measures of where law-abiding citizens couldn’t carry concealed firearms. 

GOA and @GunFoundation got an AMAZING victory today!

We defeated the majority of the UNCONSTITUTIONAL concealed carry restrictions implemented by New York’s anti-gun governor, @GovKathyHochul.

Uphold the 2A or GOA & the courts will make you! pic.twitter.com/aYBVrzH0FN

— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) October 6, 2022

GOA’s Senior Vice President Erich Pratt issued this statement following today’s ruling:

“Anti-gunners like Kathy Hochul and Eric Adams lied and misrepresented the Second Amendment to the courts, putting New Yorkers at a great disadvantage in the midst of rising crime. We are grateful to Judge Suddaby for his quick action to restore the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Once the TRO goes into effect, GOA encourages New Yorkers to exercise their rights and to defend themselves and the ones they love.”   

Sam Paredes, on behalf of the Board of Directors for the Gun Owners Foundation, added:

“New York doubled down to infringe on the Second Amendment in direct contradiction of the edicts from the U.S. Supreme Court. GOA and GOF are thankful to be vindicated by Judge Suddaby, who helped restore gun rights today. GOA and GOF will continue to fight for the rights of the people until Albany sets aside anti-gun hysteria and supports their citizens’ unalienable right to self-defense, as guaranteed by the Second Amendment.”  

Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was “deeply disappointed that the judge wants to limit my ability to keep New Yorkers safe and to prevent more senseless gun violence.”

So is Hochul saying it’s not okay for law-abiding citizens to defend themselves in certain areas? 

Law-abiding New Yorkers need a solution to defend themselves as progressive social justice reform backfires and transforms NYC into a dangerous place filled with violent crime. This summer, a Goldman Sachs analyst was shot dead in an NYC subway car.