Judges on the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Wednesday in which people are challenging the constitutionality of firearm licensing policies in a couple of Massachusetts cities, including Boston.
One of the key arguments on behalf of the complainants is that Boston and Brookline impose an unconstitutional requirement for would-be gun carriers to prove they have a reason to fear that violence will be perpetrated upon them. He cited the Supreme Court’s Heller ruling in his argument before the three-judge panel.
Lawyers for the municipalities rebutted that, saying the law is not a blanket ban on carrying arms in public.
The case was heard on the East Coast just days after the 9th Circuit, based in San Francisco, issued a ruling that said Hawaii was too restrictive when it came to determining whether to allow someone to carry.
