California's ban on openly carrying guns is unconstitutional, appeals court rules

[Elderberry]

NBC News 1/2/2026

U.S. Circuit Judge Lawrence VanDyke, a Trump appointee, said in the 2-1 decision that the state’s law could not stand under the Supreme Court’s 2022 landmark gun rights ruling.

A U.S. appeals court on Friday ruled that California's ban on openly carrying firearms in most parts of the state was unconstitutional.

A panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided 2-1 with a gun owner in ruling that the state’s prohibition against open carry in counties with more than 200,000 people violated U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

About 95% of the population in California, which has had some of the nation’s strictest gun-control laws, live in counties of that size.

U.S. Circuit Judge Lawrence VanDyke, who was appointed by Republican President Donald Trump, said the Democratic-led state’s law could not stand under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 landmark gun rights ruling.

More: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/california-open-carry-ban-unconstitutional-appeals-court-rules-rcna252007

[PeteS in CA]

This ruling was by a 3-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The two judges who ruled against the law are both Trump 1.0 appointees. AG Bonta could appeal for an en bank panel ruling, and then to the USSC. Whether he is that stupid, . It's not his $$, OTOH, even he has to know that he would lose in the USSC, even if the en banc ruled in his favor.

[MeganC]

Gun rights do not exist when the government eagerly prohibits them.

California Democrats socialists will simply find another way to express their contempt for freedom and liberty. And another decade will be wasted in the courts while millions of people have their rights denied.