9th Circuit Appeals Court rules that California concealed carry ban in hospitals is ILLEGAL

09/30/2024 / By Ramon Tomey

The Golden State’s ban on concealed carry firearms inside hospitals has been deemed illegal by a federal appeals court.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (NCAC) issued a ruling on Sept. 6 that California cannot prohibit concealed carry in hospitals. The ruling was to the Wolford v. Lopez case, in which several plaintiffs sued Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez over concealed carry bans on “sensitive places.” The NCAC’s decision applies to the whole states of Hawaii and California.

Breitbart News columnist AWR Hawkins pointed out that the appellate court magistrates applied precedents established by these three cases in their decision – U.S. v. Rahimi, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen and District of Columbia v. Heller.

“[The NCAC judges] observed that ‘our nation has a clear historical tradition of banning firearms at sensitive places’ then differentiated between places that have existed since America’s founding and places that are newer,” Hawkins wrote.

“In other words, places have long existed that are only recently considered to be sensitive. With this approach, the three-judge panel upheld some ‘sensitive places’ bans while striking enforcement of others.”

As per the Sept. 6 decision, the said concealed carry bans could be “enforced in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol and in parks.” California can also enforce such prohibitions in casinos, libraries, zoos, stadiums and museums.

However, the three-judge panel struck down the Golden State’s ban on concealed carry in churches, hospitals and public transportation. The Aloha State’s ban on concealed carry in banks “or adjacent parking lots” was likewise struck down. (Related: California faces legal battle over new restrictions on concealed carry permits.)

California ranks low among 2A-friendly states

California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA) Director Chuck Michel lauded the NCAC’s Sept. 6 ruling, calling it a victory for gun rights. As quoted by the New York Times, the CRPA director claimed that concealed carry bans at sensitive places were “never about safety.” They even placed the law-abiding concealed carry permit holder at a disadvantage.

The NCAC’s decision has had a huge impact on both California and Hawaii. According to Guns & Ammo magazine’s 2023 Best States for Gun Owners List, California ranks No. 48 while Hawaii ranks No. 49.

“California received low scores for a difficult carry permit environment, restrictions on many semiautomatics and magazines and other miscellaneous statutes,” the publication continued. “Despite having some of the nation’s toughest gun laws, the state had more mass shootings than any other state across a 50-year survey period, more than Texas and Florida combined.”

Jose Alberto Nino of Big League Politics also commented on the ruling: “Despite how awful California’s laws are … the judicial system has occasionally come in handy to rule in favor of gun rights. We can thank former President Donald Trump for making key judicial appointments both at the Supreme Court and at circuit levels that have led to pro-gun rulings.”

“We should take these victories wherever we can. However, gun owners must be ready to use other means such as lobbying, legislative pressure and even nullification to ensure that our rights are upheld. We can’t afford to put all our eggs in one basket as far as strategies for securing freedom are concerned,” he added.

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Watch former President Donald Trump promising to pay for teachers’ concealed carry weapons and training below.

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