Judge Upholds Block Against New Mexico Governor's Gun Restrictions

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's attempt to suspend firearms in public parks met with legal resistance, with the case likely heading to higher courts.

U.S. District Court Judge Kea Riggs upheld her decision to block portions of a public health order from New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that aimed to suspend the right to carry firearms in many public parks in the Albuquerque area.
Judge Riggs denied the governor's request to maintain a temporary ban on firearms in certain public places in greater Albuquerque, including most public parks.
The judge's decision is based on the lack of historical tradition of banning firearms in public parks or similar areas in the past.
Gov. Lujan Grisham, a second-term Democrat, invoked the emergency orders last year in response to a spate of gun violence including the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy outside a minor league baseball stadium.
Gun rights advocates are also urging the New Mexico Supreme Court to block the orders.