In a recent judicial development, the Supreme Court opted not to review two significant challenges to gun-control laws in Maryland and Rhode Island. The decision was made after consideration at 15 consecutive conferences, as detailed by SCOTUSblog.
The cases in question, Snope v. Brown and Ocean State Tactical v. Rhode Island, address both Maryland’s ban on semiautomatic rifles and Rhode Island’s restrictions on large-capacity magazines.
- Snope v. Brown: In this case, the petitioners challenged Maryland’s legislation that bans semiautomatic rifles, such as AR-15s and AK-47s, arguing it infringes upon Second Amendment rights. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit had previously upheld the ban, categorizing these rifles as military-style weapons not protected by the Second Amendment.
- Ocean State Tactical v. Rhode Island: The challenge here centered on Rhode Island’s law prohibiting large-capacity magazines, defined as those holding more than 10 rounds. The 1st Circuit assumed the law placed no significant burden on self-defense rights and aligned with a historic tradition of regulating firearms for public safety.
Despite aspects of dissent within the Supreme Court—including Justices Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Thomas—who showed varying degrees of support for hearing the cases, the Court ultimately declined to proceed. Justice Kavanaugh remarked on the strong argument that AR-15s, being commonly used, should be protected by the Second Amendment, suggesting future judicial scrutiny on this issue is likely.
The outcome reinforces existing lower court decisions, keeping both the Maryland and Rhode Island laws intact. This decision leaves open the possibility of revisiting similar gun-control statutes as they navigate through the appellate courts, especially given the ongoing discourse surrounding interpretations of the Second Amendment.