Supreme Court leaves New York law requiring ‘good moral character’ to carry handguns in place

The Supreme Court declined Monday to decide whether a New York law that requires residents to have “good moral character” to carry a handgun is constitutional, leaving in place most of the state’s ban on carrying weapons in “sensitive places,” such as schools, parks and theaters.

The Supreme Court declined Monday to decide whether a New York law that requires residents to have “good moral character” to carry a handgun is constitutional, leaving in place most of the state’s ban on carrying weapons in “sensitive places,” such as schools, parks and theaters. The decision is a victory for New York officials and gun control groups, who have been attempting to approve or defend gun prohibitions in the wake of a blockbuster 2022 Supreme Court precedent that widely expanded the ability of Americans to carry guns in public. The New York law in question in the case was a response to that decision. The court didn’t explain its reasoning and there were no noted dissents. The state’s law requires residents to show “good moral character” to obtain a firearm license. The new law defined that term to mean “having the essential character, temperament and judgement necessary to be entrusted with a weapon and to use it only in a manner that does not endanger oneself or others.” The law also set aside several “sensitive” locations where carrying weapons is banned. New York included government buildings, schools, hospitals, stadiums and Times Square in the list of covered spaces. Whether that approach can survive court scrutiny is being closely watched by other states. Gun rights groups challenging the law say the number of scope of sensitive places cover “virtually the entire landmass of New York” and makes carrying a weapon “so risky that even the hyper-law-abiding licensee would not dare.” The lawsuit was filed by five New Yorkers with licenses to carry firearms and one individual who has argued the law has deterred him from obtaining a license.