Florida Supreme Court Guts Right to Open Carry

By Dean Weingarten

By Dean Weingarten

Arizona – -(Ammoland.com)-
In Norman v. Florida, the central issue was whether the Florida ban on the open carry of firearms violated the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, or the weaker provision of the Florida State Constitution.

The case seems strong on its face. Open carry is specifically mentioned in the District of Columbia v Heller decision. Heller mentions it in showing that open carry of firearms has long been protected while the concealed carry of weapons has been regulated or banned since about 1830, in many jurisdictions.

The Supreme Court of Florida found the open carry of firearms was *not* protected by the Second Amendment. They then found, unsurprisingly, that the Florida Constitution does not protect the open carrying of arms, because the Florida Constitution specifically allows the state to regulate the carry of arms.

Right to Bear Arms

(a) The right of the people to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and of the lawful authority of the state shall not be infringed, except that the manner of bearing arms may be regulated by law.

It is difficult to argue that an amendment that explicitly grants the state …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand