Estimated reading time: 0 minutes
The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) has achieved another landmark win, this time defending the rights of young adults in Pennsylvania.
In a pivotal decision, the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 to remand a case back to the District Court with orders to prevent the Pennsylvania State Police from enforcing a carry ban against law-abiding 18-20-year-olds during declared states of emergency.
This case, Madison Lara v. Commissioner Pennsylvania State Police, is a powerful statement in favor of Second Amendment protections for younger adults.
Joining SAF in this fight were the Firearms Policy Coalition and three private citizens, including Madison Lara, the named plaintiff. They were represented by a skilled legal team from Cooper & Kirk and Joshua Prince of Prince Law in Pennsylvania.
This is the second victory SAF has secured on this matter in the Third Circuit. Initially, the court ruled in favor of SAF, but the state appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which asked the Third Circuit to reevaluate the case in light of the Rahimi decision.
SEE ALSO: Tucker Gunleather Deep Carry: Double-Stack Carry Comfort
Ultimately, the Third Circuit reaffirmed its original stance, making it clear that Rahimi did not alter their analysis. The District Court has now been ordered to issue an injunction protecting the rights of young adults to openly carry firearms under these circumstances.
Writing for the majority, Judge Kent A. Jordan highlighted a critical point:
“It is undisputed that 18-to-20-year-olds are among ‘the people’ for other constitutional rights such as the right to vote, freedom of speech, the freedom to peaceably assemble and to petition the and the right against unreasonable searches and seizures. We therefore reiterate our holding that 18-to-20-yearolds are, like other subsets of the American public, presumptively among ‘the people’ to whom Second Amendment rights extend.”
SAF’s Bill Sack, Director of Legal Operations, emphasized, “The Third Circuit already agreed with us once, and today it reaffirmed its decision, finding that the Rahimi decision from the Supreme Court changes precisely nothing.”
Echoing this sentiment, SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb remarked, “There is no language in the Second Amendment that applies only to some age-exclusive subset of the people. We’re delighted the Third Circuit once again has ruled in our favor, and we will continue defending that position.”
This ruling is more than a legal victory—it’s a reaffirmation that the Second Amendment is a right for all law-abiding Americans, regardless of age.
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE! ***
