Washington, D.C., November 7, 2023 – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in United States v. Rahimi. This highly consequential case will decide if people subject to qualifying domestic violence protective orders are allowed to possess firearms.
Brady has filed an amicus brief in the case with leading national domestic violence prevention organizations, underscoring the extreme danger of allowing the Fifth Circuit’s ruling to stand. The case comes to the Supreme Court as new research finds that intimate partner firearm homicides have increased by 22% since 2018. Brady also co-led a rally at the Supreme Court during oral argument with other gun violence prevention and domestic violence prevention groups.
Brady, the national gun violence prevention group, released the following statement:
Douglas Letter, Chief Legal Officer of Brady, said:
“The Fifth Circuit’s reckless decision puts countless lives at risk and goes against legal precedent and settled constitutional jurisprudence. Removing firearms from people under qualifying domestic violence restraining orders is common-sense, life-saving, and consistent with the Constitution, and that is what the Solicitor General argued today.”
“If the Fifth Circuit’s ruling is allowed to stand, survivors and those at risk of domestic violence, including countless children, will be in incredible danger. Firearms are the most common weapons used in domestic violence homicides, with female intimate partners more likely to be murdered with a gun than by all other means combined.
“The Supreme Court must now decide if it stands with victims of domestic abuse or a warped and distorted view of the Second Amendment constructed by the gun industry, which will only lead to more violence, particularly against women and children. The law challenged in this case is integral to protecting some of the most vulnerable Americans."
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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