New Jersey self-defense weapon restrictions challenged in federal lawsuit

The Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, Knife Rights, and four New Jersey residents have filed a federal lawsuit challenging state laws that prohibit carrying non-firearm items for self-defense. The legal action targets New Jersey Statute 2C:39-5(d), which restricts the possession of various tools and objects intended for protection.

Plaintiffs argue that the current restrictions on items such as knives, stun guns, slingshots, brass knuckles, bear spray, and baseball bats are unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. The lawsuit contends that the law prevents individuals from using less-lethal tools for self-defense and that the state’s definitions can criminalize everyday household objects or tools if they are carried for protection.

The challenge follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, which established that firearm restrictions must be consistent with historical traditions. Legal counsel for the plaintiffs asserts that the Second Amendment protects all common arms, not exclusively firearms, and that New Jersey’s current statutes fail to meet this constitutional standard.