Georgia AG Joins Multistate Coalition to Uphold Second Amendment

Georgia’s Attorney General Chris Carr has joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general to uphold the Second Amendment at the U.S. Supreme Court. Specifically, the coalition is urging the Court to review a California law that limits magazine capacities and requires gun owners to surrender certain magazines to law enforcement.

“The Second Amendment provides the right to keep and bear arms in this country, and California’s attempt to restrict this constitutionally-protected right is unlawful and misguided,” said Carr. “We believe that this law infringes upon the liberties of law-abiding American citizens, and we urge the U.S. Supreme Court to review this case and uphold the original intent of the Second Amendment.”

Carr and the coalition argue that California’s law criminalizes the mere possession of commonly-used arms and strikes at the core of the Second Amendment. At least 41 states, including Georgia, permit the standard capacity magazines that California’s law bans. Ammunition magazines that hold multiple rounds are standard equipment for many commonly used handguns designed for self-defense.

The full Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the ban to be constitutional. This case is now being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Carr and the coalition are asking the Court to grant review of the case and to ultimately reverse the Ninth Circuit’s incorrect decision. The coalition argues that California’s outright ban on the standard magazines is inconsistent with the Second Amendment, and the Ninth Circuit erred by concluding otherwise. In June 2021, Carr also joined with 23 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a New Jersey law that limits magazine capacities.

In filing the amicus brief, Carr is joined by the attorneys general of the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.