The U.S. Supreme Court today announced its decision not to hear Snope v. Brown, a significant case challenging Maryland’s ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles, often referred to as “assault weapons.” The ruling comes as a major disappointment to the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) and the Second Amendment Foundation, who were key plaintiffs in the case.
Alan Gottlieb, Chairman of the CCRKBA, expressed the organization’s strong dissatisfaction with the Court’s decision at this time. “The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is highly disappointed that at this time the U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to hear our important case challenging the ban on so-called ‘assault rifles’ in the state of Maryland,” Gottlieb stated in a press release.
READ :Hoax Rocks Gun Debate: Kentucky Activist’s Fake Pennsylvania School Shooting Exposed
Despite the setback, Gottlieb noted a glimmer of hope, pointing to Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s reported signaling that the Court is “more than likely” to take up one of several other pending challenges to semi-automatic rifle bans.
Gottlieb acknowledged the Supreme Court’s current heavy workload, which he attributed in part to “well over a hundred lawsuits filed by left wing interests, many of which are on the Court’s emergency docket, making it impossible to hear many pending cases in an orderly fashion.”
Snope v. Brown directly involved the CCRKBA as a plaintiff, and Gottlieb underscored the national importance of the case. He highlighted that the challenge to Maryland’s gun ban addresses the right of residents to acquire and own the most popular rifle in the country. With an estimated 20 million such firearms currently in private hands and ongoing sales across most of the U.S., Gottlieb emphasized their widespread use. Only ten states and the District of Columbia currently have restrictions on this class of firearms.
READ: Pennsylvania Sen. Fetterman Breaks Ranks, Slams Democratic Party’s Handling Of Border Crisis
“The modern semiautomatic is definitely in common use,” Gottlieb observed. He further articulated the core concern of gun owners: “Our primary concern is that American gun owners will have to once again wait for the high court to accept a case and determine whether state level bans violate the Constitution’s Second Amendment, which we definitely believe is the case. Remember, a right delayed is a right denied.”
While the immediate future of the Maryland ban remains unchanged, gun rights advocates are now looking to other cases in the legal pipeline, hopeful that the Supreme Court will soon take up a challenge that could definitively address the constitutionality of such prohibitions nationwide.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
