Supreme Court Won't Hear California Case On Gun Waiting Periods

The Supreme Court handed the state of California a victory when it turned down a challenge to the state's ten-day waiting period for firearm purchases reports CNBC. The refusal to hear the case is a setback for the NRA and gun-rights activists who attempted to argue the waiting period was unconstitutional. 

The group, led by Jeff Silvester along with the Second Amendment Foundation, said they did not object to first-time gun buyers from having to wait ten days to obtain a firearm. Instead, they argued that the waiting period should only apply to first-time buyers, and that repeat buyers had already passed the required checks.  

California argued the waiting period would help lower gun-related crime and give officials time to conduct background checks. 

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented against the court's decision not to hear the case. He said the "the Second Amendment is a disfavored right in this court."

 "If a lower court treated another right so cavalierly, I have little doubt this court would intervene," Thomas wrote. "But as evidenced by our continued inaction in this area, the Second Amendment is a disfavored right in this court."

The Supreme Court has been hesitant to wade into the gun control debate in recent years. It has not heard a major firearms case since 2010.

The court also refused to hear a case brought by the NRA that challenged the high fees that California tacks onto firearm sales. 

Photo: Getty Images


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