Current:Home > FinanceSupreme Court to hear challenge to ghost-gun regulation -MoneyStream
Supreme Court to hear challenge to ghost-gun regulation
View
Date:2025-04-14 17:57:12
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is hearing a challenge Tuesday to a Biden administration regulation on ghost guns, the difficult-to-trace weapons with an exponentially increased link to crime in recent years.
The rule is focused on gun kits that are sold online and can be assembled into a functioning weapon in less than 30 minutes. The finished weapons don’t have serial numbers, making them nearly impossible to trace.
The regulation came after the number of ghost guns seized by police around the country soared, going from fewer than 4,000 recovered by law enforcement in 2018 to nearly 20,000 in 2021, according to Justice Department data.
Finalized after an executive action from President Joe Biden, the rule requires companies to treat the kits like other firearms by adding serial numbers, running background checks and verifying that buyers are 21 or older.
The number of ghost guns has since flattened out or declined in several major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Baltimore, according to court documents.
But manufacturers and gun-rights groups challenged the rule in court, arguing it’s long been legal to sell gun parts to hobbyists and that most people who commit crimes use traditional guns.
They say the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives overstepped its authority. “Congress is the body that gets to decide how to address any risks that might arise from a particular product,” a group of more than two dozen GOP-leaning states supporting the challengers wrote in court documents.
U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Texas agreed, striking down the rule in 2023. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld his decision.
The administration, on the other hand, argues the law allows the government to regulate weapons that “may readily be converted” to shoot. The 5th Circuit’s decision would allow anyone to “buy a kit online and assemble a fully functional gun in minutes — no background check, records, or serial number required. The result would be a flood of untraceable ghost guns into our nation’s communities,” Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote.
The Supreme Court sided with the Biden administration last year, allowing the regulation to go into effect by a 5-4 vote. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined with the court’s three liberal members to form the majority.
veryGood! (6697)
Related
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- The Daily Money: All mortgages are not created equal
- More Big Lots store locations closing as company files for bankruptcy and new owner takes over
- 2024 CMA Awards: Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Album Shut Out of Nominations
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's BFF Matt Damon Prove Their Bond Is Strong Amid Her Divorce
- Oregon police charge a neighbor of a nurse reported missing with murder
- Ram 1500s, Jeep Wranglers, Jeep Gladiators among 1.2 million vehicles recalled: Check car recalls here
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Edward B. Johnson, the second CIA officer in Iran for the ‘Argo’ rescue mission, dies at age 81
Ranking
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Prince accused of physical, emotional abuse in unreleased documentary, report says
- Futures start week on upbeat note as soft landing optimism lingers
- Joe Manganiello and Girlfriend Caitlin O'Connor Make Marvelous Red Carpet Appearance
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- Shailene Woodley Reacts to Backlash Over Sharing Melania Trump’s Letter About Husband Donald Trump
- Bruce Springsteen’s Wife Patti Scialfa Shares Blood Cancer Diagnosis
- Emily Blunt and John Krasinski's Daughters Hazel, 10, and Violet, 7, Make Rare Appearance at US Open
Recommendation
Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
Why The Bear Star Will Poulter's Fitness Transformation Has Everyone Saying Yes, Chef
US Open champ Jannik Sinner is a young man in a hurry. He is 23, is No. 1 and has 2 Slam titles
Selena Gomez Says She Can't Carry Her Own Children Amid Health Journey
2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
US Open champ Jannik Sinner is a young man in a hurry. He is 23, is No. 1 and has 2 Slam titles
Princess Kate finishes chemotherapy, says she's 'doing what I can to stay cancer-free'
Caleb Williams has forgettable NFL debut with Chicago Bears – except for the end result