Federal Court Upholds Ban on Firearms in Times Square
A federal appeals court has upheld New York State’s law prohibiting firearms in sensitive public areas, including Times Square, subway stations, and commuter trains.
The ruling came Friday when U.S. District Judge Nelson Stephen Roman rejected the plaintiffs’ appeal, effectively maintaining the law enacted to restrict guns in high-traffic areas of New York City.
According to the Associated Press, several gun owners had challenged the constitutionality of certain restrictions, arguing they violated their Second Amendment rights. A lower court had previously upheld the law in 2023, and Friday’s decision by the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed that judgment.
The plaintiffs, Jason and Brianna Frey and William Seip, sought a preliminary injunction against certain provisions of the law. Under the “Consolidated Carry Improvement Act,” authorities may designate Times Square as a “gun-free zone,” and public carrying of firearms is restricted unless special permits are obtained.
The three-judge panel stated that the challenged restrictions fall within the country’s historical traditions of gun regulation and do not infringe upon the constitutional right to bear arms.
