HARTFORD, CT— Connecticut’s ban on individuals under 21 from purchasing handguns is constitutional, according to Judge Sarala v. Nagala, U.S. district judge for the Circuit of Connecticut.
Attorney General William Tong voiced support for the ruling in the Succow v. Bondi case, filed by the Connecticut Citizens Defense League and the Second Amendment Foundation on behalf of two 19-year-old residents. The plaintiffs claimed that restrictions on the purchase of firearms violate the Second Amendment and that no legal precedent prevents civilians from ages 18 to 20 from buying and owning hand guns.
“This is a major victory for commonsense gun safety and for Connecticut families,” said Tong. “The court rejected yet another radical challenge to dismantle Connecticut’s gun safety laws and affirmed what we’ve argued from the start. These age restrictions are constitutional and they save lives.”
Since 1995, Connecticut has required firearm buyers to be at least 21 years of age. That law, in addition to the age requirement, also introduced a requirement for gun purchasers to apply in person for a permit from local police and mandated eight hours of gun safety training for purchasers. A Johns Hopkins University study credited the law with a 40% reduction in gun homicides.
Connecticut is one of 11 states that have such restrictions in place. An additional six states prohibit 18 to 20 year-olds from purchasing firearms from private dealers.
Over the course of the two-day trial, the judge dismissed all major grievances brought forth by the plaintiffs and upheld the constitutionality of the existing laws, Tong said. Following the ruling, Tong vowed that the state would continue to push back against what he called attempts to subvert legal infrastructure enforcing gun control measures.
Bill Sack, senior director of legal operations for SAF, said the Second Amendment deserved the same protection as the First Amendment.
“AG Tong would never dare support restricting the free-speech rights of 19-year-olds purely based on their age, nor their right to be protected from unreasonable search and seizure,” Sack said. “Yet the Second Amendment is no different: It’s found in the same Bill of Rights and demands the same respect as do the rights the Constitution provides.”