(The Center Square) A federal circuit judge on Wednesday issued a temporary stay to an injunction issued last week by a lower court regarding N.Y.’s recently passed concealed carry gun law.
The ruling by U.S. Circuit Judge Eunice C. Lee means that the complete law will remain in effect until a three-judge panel from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals considers a full stay.
N.Y. State Attorney General Letitia James sought the stay earlier this week after U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby granted a temporary injunction last Thursday that would have suspended several aspects of the law legislators passed earlier this year.
“I am pleased that the full Concealed Carry Improvement Act [CCIA] will stay in effect and continue to protect communities as the appeals process moves forward,” James said in a statement.
“My office will continue our efforts to protect the safety of everyday New Yorkers and defend our common-sense gun laws.”
N.Y. passed the law on July 1, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned an existing state law that required gun owners to get a permit to carry in public.
[CCIA] prohibits guns in certain locations, such as tourist spots like Times Square. It also requires gun owners to seek a property owner’s approval before carrying on that property.
CCIA also incorporates social media account checks on some weapons purchases and mandates background checks before ammunition purchases.
The new law took effect on Sept. 1.
Suddaby’s injunction only covered parts of the law, including the social media account reviews and the requirement applicants needed to show “good moral character.”
In a statement, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul praised the ruling.
“The interim administrative stay of the district court’s temporary restraining order is an important and appropriate step and affirms that the [CCIA] will remain in effect during the appeals process,” she said.
“My top priority will always be to keep New Yorkers safe, and we will continue working with the Office of the Attorney General to defend our gun safety laws.”
A message to the Gun Owners of America was not immediately returned.
