The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, its first major Second Amendment case in over a decade. The case asks whether New York’s 108-year-old restrictive concealed carry licensing regime complies with the Second Amendment. Unlike residents of the states with “right-to-carry” laws that allow citizens to carry a gun in public without any showing of need, New Yorkers must show “proper cause” to do so.

During oral argument, several justices asked about the real-world consequences of these “right-to-carry” laws that several states have adopted and what would happen to New York if it had to follow suit. Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted that he did not “see any real evidence” of states with right-to-carry regimes having more accidents and increased crime, while Justice Stephen Breyer and Justice Elena Kagan asked counsel about the impact of these laws on crime, violence and safety of police officers. In short, the justices seemed interested in the real-world impact of the constitutional question posed before them.

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