Supreme Court's 22 Denials Leave Gun Rights Fights Unresolved
The Supreme Court declined to hear 22 gun rights cases on November 9, 2026, leaving felon disarmament laws, a misdemeanor DUI gun ban, and pre-conviction firearm restrictions in place.
Snapshot
AmmoLand reports that the Court's orders touched on everything from lifetime felon-in-possession bans to Washington state's law stripping gun rights after two misdemeanor DUIs. Washington Gun Law President William Kirk walked through the denials in a November 10 video, calling attention to how much Second Amendment territory remains legally unsettled even as the Court gears up for a major AR-15 ban case.
Key points
- Felony bans untouched: 16 of the 22 cases challenged 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) or similar state laws; Foster v. United States and Barge v. United States, both involving nonviolent convictions, were denied review.
- DUI gun ban stands: Holloway v. Brown challenged Washington's law disarming people after two qualifying misdemeanor DUIs in seven years; the denial leaves the state supreme court's ruling in place, and Kirk warned other states could copy the approach.
- Pre-conviction restriction survives: Trevino v. United States challenged 18 U.S.C. § 922(n), which bars people under indictment—not yet convicted—from receiving firearms or ammunition across state lines.
- Domestic violence misdemeanors: Minor v. United States questioned lifetime bans from misdemeanor domestic violence convictions without a judicial finding of dangerousness; also denied.
- Bigger fights still pending: The Court hears arguments December 2 in Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins on semiautomatic rifle bans, with Novotny v. Moore (Maryland carry restrictions) up for conference November 13.
Quick take
A cert denial isn't a ruling on the merits, but AmmoLand notes it leaves real people unable to own guns under laws the Court never actually reviewed. Worth watching how these denials shape arguments in the AR-15 cases next month.
Read the full story: ammoland.com