Overview

• The Supreme Court heard arguments over whether Zackey Rahimi, a man under a domestic violence restraining order, has a Second Amendment right to own guns. This follows a court decision in June 2022 declaring modern gun laws as unconstitutional unless there is a historical basis for them.
• Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito opposed the idea of courts stripping away the right to gun ownership from men who have been deemed abusive, despite the fact that advocates and the U.S. Solicitor General argue removing firearms from domestic abusers saves lives.
• The case originated from the ultraconservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals which declared laws preventing people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from possessing guns unconstitutional.
• Rahimi's criminal history includes an incident where he pulled out a gun and fired at witnesses to a violent assault on his ex-partner, with whom he had a child. He was later arrested for shooting at another woman and charged with aggravated assault.
• The ruling of this case could pave the way for a more defined interpretation of the Bruen ruling, which places a high burden on any lawyer tasked with defending gun laws. The law is typically considered unconstitutional unless similar laws existed during the time of the initial framing of the Constitution, opening up the potential for more controversial decisions.