The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court on July 7, 2026, seeking review of New York City's ongoing ban on stun guns and tasers, even for permit holders. SAF accuses the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which covers New York, of disregarding a 2016 Supreme Court ruling that found stun gun bans unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.
In a unanimous per curiam decision issued on March 21, 2016, the Supreme Court vacated a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling that denied Second Amendment protections to stun guns. Associate Justice Samuel Alito, concurring with the ruling, noted that stun guns, though less popular than handguns, are widely owned and accepted as legitimate self-defense tools across the country. He stated, "Massachusetts’ categorical ban of such weapons therefore violates the Second Amendment."
SAF's petition highlights that New York City continues to enforce its stun gun ban despite this precedent. William Sack, SAF's Senior Director of Legal Operations, told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the Second Circuit "sidestepped" the Supreme Court's decision by improperly applying the "common use test" at an earlier stage in its analysis, effectively limiting Second Amendment protections to arms in common use.
SAF aims to have the Supreme Court reaffirm its 2016 ruling and end what it calls an unconstitutional restriction on arms protected by the Second Amendment.
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