NRA Applauds Attorneys General Amicus Brief on NJ Permit Case

Fairfax, Va. - The National Rifle Association today applauded an amicus brief signed by twenty-three attorneys general in support of Rogers v. Grewal, an NRA-backed Supreme Court case challenging New Jersey's unconstitutional requirements for obtaining a handgun carry permit. The effort was led by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich.

“Law-abiding citizens should not be required to prove they are in peril to receive the government's permission to exercise a constitutionally protected right," said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action. "Twenty-three of America’s highest-ranking law enforcement officers have come together to support the constitutional right to self-defense because they understand that restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners puts the good guys at risk and fails to impede criminal behavior."

The law at issue requires New Jersey residents to show a "justifiable need" or "good reason" when applying for a firearm permit. The overly restrictive and time-consuming process has resulted in the deaths of innocent people, most notably in the tragic murder of Carol Bowne.

Thirty-nine year old Carol Bowne of Berlin, New Jersey, was being stalked and threatened by an ex-boyfriend. Bowne applied for a firearm permit 43 days before her death. The permit was never issued and Bowne was brutally stabbed to death by the same ex-boyfriend in her own driveway.

Rogers v. Grewal is awaiting consideration from the Supreme Court. A copy of the brief can be viewed here. 

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America's oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. More than five million members strong, NRA continues to uphold the Second Amendment and advocates enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the armed services. Be sure to follow the NRA on Facebook at NRA on Facebook and Twitter @NRA.