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Court: 2nd Amendment doesn't give teens the right to walk around with loaded, concealed guns
By adamg on Thu, 04/28/2011 - 12:11pm
The Supreme Judicial Court today upheld state gun regulations by affirming the illegal-weapon conviction of a Roxbury teen who ran away from police investigating a brewing fight while clutching a loaded gun in his waistband.
Aaron Powell's lawyers attempted to raise Second Amendment objections to his conviction, arguing that both the amendment itself and recent Supreme Court decisions limiting state gun regulations meant he had a right to carry a gun for protection - and that he had been discriminated against as a teenager because he was not allowed to apply for a gun permit or firearms ID card.
The state's highest court, however, said that the Supreme Court decisions did not grant "unlimited" gun ownership rights; in particular, that the rulings held the gun possession could only be for "a lawful purpose" and was not a right to "carry arms for any sort of confrontation." The court said Powell could not claim age discrimination because he had never actually applied for a gun permit or FID card.
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Comments
Gun Owners Action League
The full decision says the Gun Owners Action League filed a brief in this case. It doesn't say whether it was in support of the prosecution or defense. I hope very much that they're taking a hard line against gun criminals, but since the defense tried to spin this as a 2nd amendment case I'll bet they're fighting for the rights of criminals to carry guns unimpeded by the law.
Wrong! There is no way they
Wrong! There is no way they would be in favor of the defense...the Gun Owners Action League is all about protecting 2nd Amendment rights of "law abiding" citizens to keep and bear arms for "lawful" purposes in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Criminals and those engaging in criminal behavior, especially involving illegal/stolen firearms, forfiet there 2nd Amendment rights. Also...you need to be 21 to apply for pistol permit in MA. There is no age discrimination...it's simply the law...and if you have any type of criminal record forget it!
GOAL does not want guns in the hands of criminals...that's just rediculous to think that.
Agreed, GOAL is not stupid,
Agreed, GOAL is not stupid, and would not stick their collective "necks" out and support a case like this. Too many issues, unregistered firearm, non-licensed owner, under 21 in Mass.
GOAL is for 2nd amendment rights in MA. Those are hard enough to come by in this state, so there is no way they would sacrifice the bad press for this case.
I'll bet they're fighting for
I'll take that bet - what's it worth to you? GOALs interest is probably in relation to the ability of 18-25 year olds to own and carry guns. According to their web site, the state has argued that 18-25 year olds can buy and keep in the house, but can't carry. The laws as written seem to be a mess of contradictions, so GOAL is making their point here.
http://blog.goal.org/2010/10/19/state-argues-18-ye...