SAF Expresses Gratitude For Strong Amicus Briefs In SCOTUS Cert Petition

BELLEVUE, Wash., Feb. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Second Amendment Foundation today extended its heartfelt gratitude to five groups, including two fellow gun rights organizations, for their strong amicus curiae briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court, supporting SAF's petition for review of the New Jersey carry challenge, Drake v. Jerejian.

"In addition to briefs filed by 19 state attorneys general and 34 members of Congress," SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb noted, "our case has now gotten support from our friends at the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners Foundation, the Cato Institute and Madison Society Foundation, plus the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence and the Judicial Education Project.

"We're encouraged by the additional boost last week of an opinion on carry outside the home by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in a case funded by the NRA, in which SAF submitted an amicus brief, that clearly defines the issues raised by our New Jersey lawsuit," he added. "This was a great ruling and well written legal opinion that relied heavily on the decisions in Heller as well as SAF court victories in McDonald, Ezell and Moore. This ruling should help get the Second Amendment Foundation's cert petition in our New Jersey Drake case on the right to carry heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. I am very excited."

Gottlieb believes the time may have finally come for the nation's highest court to address the important issue of firearms carry outside the home.

"Naturally," he said, "from our perspective, the issue seems to beg for a definitive ruling that settles the question for the entire nation. We have divisive lower court opinions on a fundamental civil right that require resolution, and there's only one place this can happen.

"The briefs submitted in support of our effort include some of the most intelligent and well-thought-out arguments on the Second Amendment's scope we've ever seen," Gottlieb concluded. "We will be forever grateful to all of those who put so much time, effort and intellect into these briefs. They really are remarkably clear and compelling documents.

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms.  Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. 

SOURCE Second Amendment Foundation