This decision directly upholding the right to bear arms outside of the home led to a string of legal victories across the nation. But there’s a catch.
The high court does not have its own enforcement arm, meaning it does not send out legions of law enforcement officers to ensure its rulings are honored. Guaranteeing the law of the land is upheld comes down to the will of federal, state, and local officials to honor high court decisions.
Thankfully for the Republic, this is normally the case.
However, especially with controversial issues with emotions running high on both sides, there are instances where enforcement officials choose to turn a blind eye to federal law and judicial precedent. Thus is the case of California and Bruen’s clear intent.
When governments refuse to comply with the law, it is up to civilian activists to take legal action and hold their feet to the legal fire. In the case of the Golden State, that has largely been the work of the California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA).
This Second Amendment organization has been fierce in developing relationships with California sheriffs over the past decade. Much of this effort centered on clarification of the law after Peruta v. California in 2015.
But after last June’s Bruen decision, CRPA’s work kicked into high gear. The group enacted a statewide campaign to assist sheriffs and police chiefs in navigating the waters after the high court largely restored gun rights to their traditional status in society. This was met with appreciation by most California law enforcement officials — but not all.
Resistance to honoring the Constitution and federal law was centered around coastal cities that already had a long history of hostility toward the Second Amendment. Even in Bruen’s aftermath, many applying for concealed carry permits found themselves at the mercy of a system that resisted issuance at every turn.
However, CRPA through its CCW Reckoning Project followed a two-pronged approach to reach compliance. First was simply educating on the new standard applied by Bruen for gun rights for Californians.
And second was the threat of litigation if compliance was not reached.
Happily, CRPA reports that most have come to the table and begun to carry out their constitutional duties for law-abiding citizens. That’s not to say this wasn’t grudgingly accomplished, but the result was the same.
At the time of the Peruta case, there were an estimated 100,000 CCWs in California. That number reached 220,000 by last year’s infamous Department of Justice leak of California permit holders information and has since Bruen topped 300,000. But it should be more, and there are clear reasons why this number has been held down.
The case of Alameda County is a prime example of the tremendous work accomplished by CRPA. With a population of nearly 1.7 million, the San Francisco Bay Area government has been notoriously rebellious in issuing CCWs, even in the wake of the high court ruling.
Consider the list of unconstitutional requirements that until recently burdened citizens wishing to concealed carry.
Applicants were required to provide photographs of their home gun storage. They were asked about home security and installed cameras. They had to reveal the number and storage location of their firearms as well as the people who lived in the residence.
Further, they had to provide the layout of their home, proof of income, and locations where concealed carry would be exercised if the permit were granted.
And the permit, if granted, only applied to a single firearm.
Clearly these onerous laws were intended to prevent all but the most compliant applicants from obtaining CCVs. This has now changed.
The CRPA notified Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez in a letter that a lawsuit would be filed if these roadblocks to lawful carry were not taken down. It worked.
Not only did these restrictions disappear, but the county will now provide monthly permit-issuance numbers to show compliance with Bruen. That is the result of hard work by Second Amendment advocates who care about individual liberties.
It is also the very definition of progress.
