Duncan v. Bonta

Overview

(9th Cir., March 20, 2025): The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in an en banc decision, upheld a California ban on ammunition magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds. Although the Ninth Circuit previously ruled on this case in 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court previously vacated that decision and remanded the case back down to the lower courts to be reconsidered in light of the Court’s Bruen decision. The Ninth Circuit concluded that high-capacity magazines are not “arms” within the plain text of the Second Amendment, especially because firearms operate as intended with lower-capacity magazines. The court similarly concluded that the California ban satisfies Bruen’s historical analysis requirements due to Founding-era gunpowder storage requirements. Read the full opinion here.

View all cases in the Judicial Trends in Public Health – May 20, 2025.

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