The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has unanimously ruled that Minnesota’s ban on concealed carry for young adults violates the Second Amendment. The ruling marks a significant victory for gun rights advocates, particularly the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and its partners.
The lawsuit, known as Worth v. Jacobson, challenged the state’s prohibition on issuing concealed carry permits to individuals aged 18 to 20. The court’s 27-page ruling affirmed that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right that extends to all law-abiding adults, regardless of age.
Circuit Judge Duane Benton, writing for the panel, emphasized that the Second Amendment’s text contains no age restrictions. He argued that 18 to 20-year-old Minnesotans are “unambiguously members of the people” and therefore entitled to the constitutional protections afforded by the Second Amendment.
The court further determined that the state failed to present sufficient evidence to justify its age-based restriction on concealed carry. The ruling concludes that the ban violates the Second Amendment as applied to Minnesota through the Fourteenth Amendment.
Alan M. Gottlieb, founder and Executive Vice President of SAF, hailed the decision as a “significant victory for the rights of young adults” and a step forward in the organization’s mission to expand firearms freedom.
SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut echoed this sentiment, expressing encouragement that another circuit court has recognized the Second Amendment rights of young adults. He emphasized that SAF will continue to challenge laws that create a tiered system of constitutional rights.
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The ruling is expected to have broader implications for similar gun control measures targeting young adults in other states. It reinforces the principle that the Second Amendment applies to all law-abiding adults, regardless of age, and that any restrictions on this fundamental right must be carefully justified.
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