Criminal Defense Heroes, P.C. founder Don Hammond was on the radio this week, discussing the recent ruling in the Rhode v. Bonta case by Judge Benitez. The podcast version is available here, and the discussion starts at 4 minutes in.
Rhode v. Bonta is a federal case with plaintiffs challenging California’s ammunition background check laws. On January 30, 2024, a federal judge struck down those laws. This would allow Californians to buy ammunition without a background check or from out-of-state vendors. However, on February 6, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of that ruling. So, for now, Californians are stuck with buying ammunition only at California vendors, after passing a background check every time.
The lead plaintiff in the case is Kim Rhode, an Olympic gold medal skeet shooter from California.
This case, and other recent gun rights cases are likely headed to the US Supreme Court after the Ninth Circuit makes its rulings. In 2022, the US Supreme Court released the Bruen decision, holding that modern gun regulations must have an historical analogue to survive scrutiny.
