US Appeals Courts Issue Divergent Rulings on State Gun Restrictions

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld New York City’s ban on non‑lethal electronic weapons such as tasers and stun guns, ruling that the devices are not "in common use" and therefore not protected by the Second Amendment. Critics said the decision “undermines a key Supreme Court precedent” on gun rights.

In a contrasting decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down California’s ban on open carry in urban counties, finding the prohibition unconstitutional under the Supreme Court’s Bruen test. The ruling restores the right to openly carry firearms in most of the state and may prompt similar challenges nationwide.