Federal Judge Reverses Himself, Rules That California's Ban on Billy Clubs Is Unconstitutional

[discocrisco01]

Source: Associated Press

A federal judge struck down a California law banning possession of club-like weapons, reversing his previous ruling from three years ago that upheld the prohibition on billy clubs, batons and similar blunt objects.

U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez ruled last week that the prohibition “unconstitutionally infringes the Second Amendment rights of American citizens” and enjoined the state from enforcing the law, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Weapons such as billy clubs have been outlawed in some form or other in California since at least 1917, with exceptions for law enforcement officers and some state-licensed security guards, the Times said.

Benitez declared in Sept. 2021 that California’s ban on such weapons qualified as “longstanding” and therefore did not violate the Second Amendment. But while that ruling was under appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen that altered the legal analysis for Second Amendment regulations.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2024-02-26/federal-judge-reverses-himself-rules-that-californias-ban-on-billy-clubs-is-unconstitutional

[Hermit-The-Prog]

1. The 2nd Amendment includes the phrase "well regulated". It has not been erased.

[stopdiggin]

2. so are brass knuckles, military pikes, war axes, battle stars and nun-chucks also

now covered under 'keep and bear arms' ?
asking for a friend ..
(friend is anxious - possibly falling behind in the arms race .. )

[Voltaire2]

3. Strict construction lol.

Arms were fire arms then and now.

[BlueGrimmy]

5. "Arms" was probably more expansive

than just firearms. I'm guessing the intent was for citizens to have weapons to be part of the militia, and things like swords and spontoons were common military arms of the time. Knives, common, but not clubs.

This formula of applying historical standards, somewhat modified for technological advances, isn't working, but there's not nearly enough consensus to pass a new amendment to clarify things.

[maxsolomon]

4. Knew from the headline it was Benitez

He's where you go when you want weapons deregulated.

[Hotler]

6. The Hells Angles and other clubs used to carry ball peen hammers on their sides. Some carry big maglites

(flash lights) these days.