LANSING, Mich. — Friday, the Supreme Court issued a pivotal ruling regarding gun ownership by individuals convicted of certain domestic violence charges. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says the 8-to-1 decision will likely have significant implications for firearm laws here in Michigan.
The Supreme Court deemed a federal law constitutional, which allows for the temporary seizure of firearms from people with a domestic violence-related restraining order against them.
This particular case stems from a man in Texas named Zackey Rahimi, who had such a protection order against him.
Rahimi possessed multiple firearms despite the order against him. Investigators say he was involved in five different shootings after the order was issued, saying he could not possess firearms.
He was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in 2019, prompting the protective order.
Rahimi argued in court that the federal statute was unconstitutional.
In fact, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in 2023 that called the federal law unconcstitutional.
That was then overturned Friday with the high court’s decision.
Attorney General Nessel said the decision helps solidify Michigan's recently passed laws around gun safety.
"I think that Rahimi stands for the proposition that the right to bear arms is not unlimited, and that common sense gun laws are consistent with the Second Amendment,” Nessel said.
“The Supreme Court's decision today only confirms the constitutionality of our own laws”.
Michigan has recently passed laws aimed at reducing gun violence, specifically related to extreme risk protection orders, the safe and secure storage act, universal background checks, and prohibition on gun ownership or possession for eight years for people convicted of domestic violence offenses.
Nessel said she believes our laws are now more protected by the court’s decision if they are ever challenged in court in the future.
She noted that there have already been 62 extreme risk protection orders issued since the act went into effect in February.
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