Fifth Circuit Strikes Down Federal Switchblade Ban, Boosting Gun Rights Ahead of Supreme Court AR-15 Hearing
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Switchblade Act violates the Second Amendment, declaring switchblades protected 'arms.' This decision, alongside a ruling striking down New York’s body armor restrictions, strengthens gun rights arguments ahead of the Supreme Court’s upcoming hearing on AR-15 bans in Viramontes v. Cook County. Advocates argue these rulings establish that modern defensive equipment falls under constitutional protection, while the Justice Department had defended the switchblade law as regulating 'dangerous and unusual' weapons.