Supreme Court declines to hear dozens of firearms cases

The Supreme Court declined to hear dozens of firearms-related cases at the start of its October 2026 term, including a significant petition from the Department of Justice. Among the 48 firearms cases denied certiorari was a challenge to the federal felon-in-possession statute.

Specifically, the Court declined to review a Fifth Circuit decision that invalidated the conviction of Charles Hembree. The appeals court had ruled that the felon gun ban violated the Second Amendment as applied to Hembree, whose underlying conviction was for possession of methamphetamine. By declining the case, the Fifth Circuit’s ruling stands, which limits the ability of the government to use certain drug possession convictions to strip firearm rights in Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Additionally, the Court declined to hear challenges regarding Minnesota’s refusal to honor out-of-state carry permits. While the denials leave existing lower-court judgments and state policies intact, they do not constitute a formal ruling on the merits of the Second Amendment claims.