SCOTUS upholds gun restrictions for domestic abusers
GIFFORDS Law Center had urged SCOTUS to protect survivors.
WASHINGTON — Today, GIFFORDS Law Center applauded the United States Supreme Court ruling 8-1 in United States v. Rahimi to uphold the federal law that prohibits people subject to domestic violence restraining orders from possessing guns. Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and GIFFORDS Law Center have advocated for this outcome for the past year, rallying in support of this law and filing an amicus brief urging the court to protect survivors. Women in the United States are 21 times more likely to die from a firearm than women in other high-income countries.
Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords:
“This is a win for women, children, and anyone who has experienced domestic abuse. Women should be able to live their lives free from the fear of gun violence. We know that firearms make domestic abuse situations significantly more deadly, and firearms’ effects on women’s safety is a crisis. This ruling is a small step in the fight to stop violence against women. We applaud the Supreme Court for doing the right thing and putting people’s lives first. This would not have been possible without the work of gun safety and domestic violence advocates across the country.”
Esther Sanchez-Gomez, Litigation Director, GIFFORDS Law Center:
“Today’s decision shows that even after the extreme decision in Bruen, a majority of justices recognize that the Second Amendment allows commonsense gun laws. The constitution affirms our basic freedom to live free from gun violence. Today the justices prioritized the safety of survivors of domestic abuse, but this ruling simply upholds the status quo. Today’s ruling will save lives, but too many women die at the intersection of domestic violence and firearms. We still have a lot of work to do.”
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