INTERESTING COURT DECISION FROM THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

By Bob Walsh

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is part of the United States and is covered by the U. S District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, which is part of the 9th Circuit. They have, or maybe had, some very restrictive gun laws. That may have changed due to a ruling by 9th Circuit Chief Judge Ramona Manglona.

In the Marianas you need to pay $1,000 tax to buy a handgun. “Assault weapons” are banned. There are significant caliber restrictions on firearms. Carrying handguns in public is banned.

The 9th Circuit has recently overturned its own three judge panel which had ruled that there is no constitutional right to carry a concealed weapon in public. The District Court ruling and that of the three judge panel conflicted with the Heller decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned the handgun ban in D.C.

The ruling by Judge Manglona states that the outright ban on carrying handguns (though not necessarily concealed weapons) in public is unconstitutional. Her ruling also overturns the total ban on “assault weapons.”