Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is once again facing harsh criticism after he was the lone conservative justice to dissent in the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday in a landmark gun rights case.
Eight of the nine judges agreed. United States v. Rahimi The ruling upheld a federal law that bars individuals subject to domestic violence restraining orders from obtaining firearms. The ruling limited the scope of the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling. New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, This significantly expanded Second Amendment rights.
Mr. Thomas said, Blue En, In a dissenting opinion on Friday, his fellow justices wrote that the federal law in question Rahimi This violates the “plain language” of the Second Amendment and is inconsistent with the “historic tradition of gun control.” Blue En Government regulation of gun ownership is constitutional only if there is a tradition of such laws in U.S. history.
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“rear [Bruen]”This Court’s instruction was clear: ‘A firearms regulation within the language of the Second Amendment is unconstitutional unless it is consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation,'” Justice Thomas wrote in his opinion. “No single historical regulation justifies the law at issue.”
The dissenting judges also Rahimi In that case, the central figure in the law, Zacky Rahimi, was not convicted of a crime, but was accused of beating and threatening to shoot his girlfriend, and was banned from possessing weapons. Rahimi was issued a restraining order banning him from seeing his girlfriend, which he later rebelled against. Prosecutors also alleged that Rahimi had threatened another woman with a gun and was responsible for several other shootings.
Thomas wrote that the federal law banning Rahimi from owning a firearm “is not triggered by a criminal history or conviction, unlike other restrictions, and it strips an individual of the right to possess firearms and ammunition without due process.”
Since the court’s decision was announced Friday morning, several of Thomas’ critics have spoken out against the justice. Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger wrote on Twitter’s X, “Justice Clarence Thomas was against banning domestic abusers from owning guns? That’s insane.”
“Clarence Thomas was the only Supreme Court justice to rule allowing domestic abusers to own guns because they weren’t already terrible enough,” wrote Joan Carducci, a podcaster and supporter of President Joe Biden.
Journalist Matt Fuller shared a copy of Chief Justice John Roberts’ opinion in the case on his X account, which included a list of the accusations against Rahimi.
“Clarence Thomas believes this person should be allowed to own a gun,” Fuller added.
Thomas has been embroiled in a number of Supreme Court scandals, including failing to disclose numerous lavish gifts and trips funded by major Republican donors, and has refused to recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election, even as his wife, Virginia “Ginny” Thomas, lobbied aides to former President Donald Trump and other lawmakers to overturn Biden’s victory.
“Justice Clarence Thomas is the only justice who wants to arm domestic abusers. The only justice who took a $4 million bribe from a billionaire. The only justice who voted to protect Trump from investigators. The only justice whose spouse tried to overturn the results of an election,” wrote Democratic political strategist Lindy Lee.
Newsweek The Supreme Court’s press office was reached via email Friday seeking comment.
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