Maryland Attorney General Requests New Hearing After Court Strikes Down Handgun Licensing Law

The law, enacted in 2013 following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, required individuals to obtain a license before purchasing a handgun.

Maryland's handgun licensing law, which required individuals to obtain a license before purchasing a handgun, was struck down by a federal appeals court in November.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has filed a petition for a new hearing with the full 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, involving 15 judges.
The underlying lawsuit was filed in 2016 as a challenge to a Maryland law requiring people to obtain a special license before purchasing a handgun.
The law was passed in 2013 in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Several state leaders, including Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, have expressed opposition to the recent appeals court ruling and have pledged to fight it.