The liberal stronghold state was recently ordered by a New York judge to reimburse the National Rifle Association (NRA) for about $500,000 in legal fees. This happened, according to Fox News, after the gun rights group won a big lawsuit before the US Supreme Court.
A state public carry licensing regulation was declared unconstitutional by the nation’s highest court in the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen case from last summer. Additionally, it decided that since the Second Amendment safeguarded and protected the right to bear arms in public, carrying a gun in public constituted a constitutional right in the United States.
One of the parties to the lawsuit was the NRA, and a judge in New York ordered the state to pay $447,700. The NRA views this decision as a “pivotal victory,” according to a statement made by Michael Jean, Director of the Office of Litigation Counsel for the gun rights group.
Additionally, he stated that the victory “unprecedentedly” fortifies the Second Amendment and that it is a sign that justice is on the NRA’s side. Furthermore, he stated on Fox News that the NRA will continue its “unrelenting fight” against anyone attempting to “infringe upon” Americans’ rights.
Jean said that even with this court win, the NRA’s settlement “only scratches the surface,” as it will only pay for “roughly a third” of the group’s legal costs. In addition, he acknowledged the “generosity” of numerous NRA members who assisted the organization in paying the majority of its legal costs in this matter and asserted that New York is unwilling to provide full compensation.
Legislators in New York passed the Concealed Carry Improvement Act in response to the Supreme Court’s decision, which outlaws carrying a gun in “sensitive areas.” These consist of public areas such as stadiums, parks, museums, and places of worship.
