Gun Show Promoters Lose In Court, Brady Center Applauds Decision

May 2, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence praised the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling today that upholds an ordinance in Alameda County, California banning possession and sales of firearms on county-owned property.

The Court, in Nordyke v. King, rejected a challenge brought by gun show promoters who claimed the ordinance violated the Second Amendment. The Court, however, allowed the promoters to amend their complaint if they find different facts that might support their claim.

"We are pleased that the court upheld the government's authority to regulate dangerous firearms on government-owned property," said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "The Second Amendment does not prevent state and local governments from enacting gun laws like those adopted in Alameda County, which are intended to protect its residents from the ravages of gun violence."

The decision in Nordyke v. King is one of more than 350 gun law challenges that have been rejected by the courts since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2008 ruling in Heller v. District of Columbia. That ruling said that the Second Amendment grants a right to possess guns in the home for self-defense.

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The Brady Campaign is the nation's largest citizens' lobby to prevent gun violence. We represent the voice of the overwhelming majority of Americans who are tired of living with the constant tragedy of gun violence and are in favor of strong laws and policies that will save lives. We are the light that exposes politicians who are putting the American people at risk, empowering the American people to hold them accountable for decisions and actions that undermine public safety.

We are driven by the focused vision of a nation where all Americans are safe at home, at work, at school, and in our communities.

Dan Gross is the President of the Brady Campaign and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. A photo and more information about Dan Gross is available here.

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