SAF Sues Hawaii Over Gun Ban for Young Adults, Seeks Injunction

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) has filed a federal lawsuit challenging restrictive gun control laws in Hawaii which discriminate against young adults, prohibiting them from acquiring, purchasing and possessing firearms and ammunition, therefore violating their Second and Fourteenth Amendment rights. 

The lawsuit, which seeks injunctive relief, was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. 

SAF is joined by Aloha Strategics LLC, JGB Arms LLC, and two private citizens, Juda Roache and Elijah Pinales. They are represented by attorneys Kevin O’Grady in Honolulu and Alan Beck of San Diego. The case is known as Pinales v. Attorney General for the State of Hawaii. 

Named as the defendant is Hawaii Attorney General Anne E. Lopez, in her official capacity. 

“Hawaii’s ban on the purchase and possession of firearms by adults in the 18- to 20-year age group makes it impossible for these citizens to exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” noted SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “Their rights have been assured by recent Supreme Court rulings, not to mention this nation’s history and tradition, and the Hawaii statutes clearly conflict with those decisions and the relevant history.” 

“Hawaii has essentially decided the Second Amendment doesn’t apply in that state, and they can’t be allowed to get away with it,” added SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “Under the Fourteenth Amendment, no state shall make or enforce any law which abridges the rights guaranteed to citizens by the U.S. constitution, and that includes young adults. These prohibitions simply cannot be allowed to stand.” 

In addition to the federal complaint, attorneys for SAF and its partners have filed a memorandum in support of their motion for a preliminary injunction.

For more information, visit saf.org. 

The Second Amendment Foundation (saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the fundamental rights of individuals enshrined in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. SAF engages in aggressive legal action to ensure the principles of armed self-defense, personal liberty, and the ownership of arms are defended, secured, and restored. Through public education initiatives, SAF teaches the importance of the Second Amendment to promote a society that values and exercises the right to keep and bear arms.