The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Minnesota’s request to review a lower court decision that struck down the state’s ban on individuals aged 18 to 20 carrying handguns. The High Court’s refusal, announced today, upholds the ruling by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, marking a significant victory for the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and potentially impacting similar age-based restrictions nationwide.
The case, Jacobson v. Worth, originated as a challenge brought by SAF and other plaintiffs against Minnesota’s law prohibiting adults under 21 from carrying handguns. The plaintiffs argued that the ban violated the Second Amendment rights of this age group.
After a federal district court granted an injunction against the state’s ban, Minnesota appealed to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed the district court’s ruling. Minnesota then sought a Writ of Certiorari from the Supreme Court, asking it to take up the case.
By denying certiorari, the Supreme Court effectively leaves the Eighth Circuit’s decision as the final legal judgment on this matter for Minnesota. The Eighth Circuit’s ruling affirmed that 18-to-20-year-olds are indeed part of “the People” protected by the Second Amendment and possess the right to carry a handgun for self-defense.
“We are encouraged with today’s ruling, that the Supreme Court was happy to let the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that 18-20-year-olds are part of ‘the People’ who have the right to carry a handgun for self-defense, stand,” said SAF Director of Legal Operations Bill Sack. “This ruling will have reverberations nationwide, where SAF is involved in multiple similar suits, seeking to restore the rights of young adults who face similarly unconstitutional laws in their home states.”
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The lawsuit was originally filed in June 2021 under the name Worth v. Harrington. In addition to the Second Amendment Foundation, plaintiffs include the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, Firearms Policy Coalition, and three private citizens: Kristin Worth, Austin Dye, and Axel Anderson. They are represented by attorneys David H. Thompson, Peter A. Patterson, John D. Ohlendorf, and William V. Bergstrom of the firm Cooper & Kirk in Washington, D.C.
SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb commented on the outcome, stating, “Today’s cert denial confirms what we’ve said all along – the Second Amendment is not limited to those 21-years-old and above.” He expressed cautious optimism that the denial would positively influence SAF’s ongoing challenges to similar bans in other states. “Our goal is to remove any impediments for adults – no matter their age – to exercise their Second Amendment rights wherever they live,” Gottlieb added.
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The Supreme Court’s action, or lack thereof, solidifies the legal victory for gun rights advocates in Minnesota regarding the 18-20 age group and could serve as influential precedent in similar legal battles across the United States.
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