Concealed Gun Permit Arguments At Ninth Circuit Court Of Appeals

If the lawyers arguing both sides of a controversial concealed weapons case agreed on one thing Tuesday, it was that the constitutional right to bear arms extends outside the home.

The panel of 11 judges with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals appeared to agree on the same point, but to what degree was less than clear as arguments on the issue wrapped up in San Francisco.

The en banc panel is being asked to re-examine California’s concealed weapons law and whether individual counties can set their own rules restricting who can and cannot tote hidden guns.

“The Second Amendment, does it change from county to county?” asked Judge Consuelo Maria Callahan.

In a courtroom filled to capacity, the panel heard arguments from the parties in two similar cases out of San Diego and Yolo counties in which citizens sued after being denied concealed weapons permits.

The cases have generated national attention, and many observers predict this could be the best chance for the U.S. Supreme Court to bring clarity to how far the Second Amendment extends beyond the home.

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