Maine Attorney General Appeals Judge’s Decision to Pause Gun Sales Waiting Period
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey is appealing a recent decision by Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker to suspend a three-day waiting period for buying firearms. The decision came after gun rights groups sued Frey over the new law, which took effect in August. The plaintiffs, including a self-defense teacher for victims of domestic violence and a state representative who sells guns, argued that the waiting period interfered with their Second Amendment right to bear arms.
In his ruling, Walker agreed with the plaintiffs that the law could harm them and questioned its constitutionality. Frey’s office has appealed the decision to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, requesting that the waiting period be reinstated while the case is being considered. Assistant Attorney General Christopher Taub argued that waiting periods save lives by reducing suicides and homicides, and pointed out that similar laws have been upheld in other states.
One such case in Vermont saw a federal judge ruling against gun rights groups seeking to overturn a waiting period law. Taub cited this and other cases as precedents that support the constitutionality of waiting periods. While the final decision will be up to the appeals court, Taub expressed confidence that the Second Amendment does not prohibit states from implementing such regulations.
The outcome of this appeal will have significant implications for gun sales in Maine and potentially set a precedent for other states facing similar challenges to waiting period laws. Frey and his office are committed to defending the new law and arguing for its effectiveness in protecting public safety.
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