Overview

• A Manhattan federal judge, John P. Cronan, ruled New York City's gun restrictions as unconstitutional, opposing requirements that permit applicants must prove they have “good moral character.
• The lawsuit was filed by Brooklyn resident Joseph Srour, who was denied a gun permit in 2019 due to prior arrests, bad driving history and supposed false statements on applications.
• Cronan argues that the law violated an individual's second and 14th constitutional amendments, criticizing the discretionary standards as broad, unrestrained and without historical validation.
• The ruling follows on from a June 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision which facilitated the process of obtaining handgun permits, leading to the passing of the Concealed Carry Improvement Act.
• Cronan's ruling gives NYC until midnight Thursday to file an appeal before it comes into effect.