Ellison Asks Eighth Circuit For Full Hearing In Concealed Carry Case

(KNSI) – State Attorney General Keith Ellison says his office will petition the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals for a full hearing on the constitutionality of a law that restricts concealed carry permits for handguns to those 21 and older.

A U.S. district court decision against the measure came out in March 2023, arguing that it violates the 2nd Amendment rights of 18, 19, and 20-year-olds. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals upheld the district court ruling in what is known as the Worth case earlier this month. Ellison wants an en banc review, which includes every judge on the appeals court.

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have a rule similar to Minnesota’s. The law was passed by the state legislature here in 2003.

Ellison defended his decision to ask for the full hearing, saying, “Respectfully, the court reached the wrong conclusion on the facts and the history, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recent, common-sense decision to uphold state laws restricting gun possession by domestic abusers and the guidance the court offered in that decision for evaluating challenges like these.”

Three plaintiffs brought the Worth case with the help of three advocacy groups, including the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. It was filed in June 2021. The reasoning behind the case was the plaintiffs met all other criteria for a concealed carry permit except for their age, even though they were adults.

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