Supreme Court's Rahimi Gun Decision: Thankful for Small Victories

Well, it seems that the prospect of public backlash if the Court issued a decision that guaranteed the right to bear arms for men subject to domestic violence protection orders, might have prompted the Court majority to decide that there was a limit to extreme Second Amendment rights after all. Some wondered cynically how low could the Supremes go. Not low enough, it seems, to arm Zacky Rahimi. Last Friday, the Court ruled 8-1 to uphold the law under which Rahimi had been convicted.

Rahimi had violated a federal law that barred anyone subject to a domestic violence protective order, and posed a “credible threat” to a partner, from keeping firearms. He had appealed, arguing that the law violated the Second Amendment.

As the Supreme Court summed up the facts of his case:

“Rahimi met his girlfriend, C. M., for lunch in a parking lot. C. M. is also the mother of Rahimi’s young child, A. R. During the meal, Rahimi and C. M. attempted to leave, but Rahimi grabbed her by the wrist, dragged her back to his car, and shoved her in, causing her to strike her head against the dashboard. When he realized that a bystander was watching the altercation, Rahimi paused to retrieve a gun from under the passenger seat. C. M. took advantage of the opportunity to escape. Rahimi fired as she fled, although it is unclear whether he was aiming at C. M. or the witness. Rahimi later called C. M. and warned that he would shoot her if she reported the incident. Undeterred by this threat, C. M. went to court to seek a restraining order.”