By JULIE CUNNINGHAM
(Massachusetts) The Supreme Court of the United States has denied Writ of Certiorari in the matter of Worman v. Healy, a Second Amendment challenge on the ban on semiautomatic firearms in Massachusetts. One local firearms store, Overwatch Outpost, was a petitioner in the case.
“I am sorry to announce that our case against Healey has finally come to an end. We did all that we could, and we thank you all for the support over these past several years of litigation,” said Charles Ricko about the case.
The District Court and Appellate Court upheld the ban, sending the petition all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. Petitioners argued that under the Heller standard, the Second Amendment protected all “bearable arms” possessed by “law abiding citizens for a lawful purpose.” Petitioners argued that under this standard any ban on firearms is “off the table.” Instead of following the Heller standard, petitioners argued that the District and Appellate courts followed lesser standards, to which they could not agree, creating a chaotic legal landscape and disagreement among the courts.
“Lower courts nationwide have had considerable difficulty understanding and applying Heller’s mandate, contributing to the development of many different standards for analyzing firearm bans,” the petition reads.
Even though the Heller standard is established, petitioners were asking the Supreme Court of the United States to clarify the standard and make it easier for lower courts to interpret and apply.
“We of course strongly disagree with this decision. Unfortunately, the court’s rejection means our case has come to an end and Massachusetts’ ban remains on the books,” said Ricko.
To read the entire Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States, click here.