Massachusetts Gun Case Forces Judges to Parse High Court Rulings

Massachusetts’ restrictions on malfunctioning handguns puzzled First Circuit judges who suggested they lack the facts necessary to determine whether the safety measures run afoul of the US Supreme Court’s Second Amendment rulings.

“You can do the argument however you want, but a major question on everyone’s mind is why we shouldn’t just remand the case,” Chief Judge David Barron told the first lawyer arguing the case Tuesday at the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

“Don’t we need discovery to get some agreement on what the facts are?” Justice Bruce Selya later asked.

The judges said ...