In a long-awaited decision, the Supreme Court on Thursday struck down New York state's restrictions against the concealed carry of firearms in public in a 6-3 vote.
The majority opinion, written by Clarence Thomas, finds that a New York gun law that lays down a spate of requirements for residents to publicly carry guns with them is in violation of the Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment, which says citizens have a right to equal protection under the laws. The majority ruled that New York's law was unconstitutionally "preventing law-abiding citizens with ordinary self-defense needs from exercising their Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms in public for self-defense." To acquire a license to carry, New Yorkers must have no criminal record, be over the age of 21, have "good moral character," and have "proper cause" for obtaining a gun, according to The Washington Post.
