United States v. Rahimi: Setting Limits on the “Right to Bear Arms”
摘要
United States v. Rahimi represents the Court’s first concerted effort to address a critical unresolved question about the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms: under what circumstances can the government disarm a person it believes to be dangerous? In an 8–1 decision written by Chief Justice Roberts, the Court upheld a federal statute that prohibits persons who are subject to domestic violence restraining orders from possessing a firearm. While the outcome was seen as a victory for gun control advocates, the decision itself is fairly narrow in scope, leaving several important questions about the Second Amendment unresolved. And, despite the eight-justice majority, the case produced five concurring opinions and a single dissent, suggesting some ongoing tension among the justices about the future direction of Second AmendmentSecond Amendment doctrine.