MA GUN LAWYER

Today I filed my Reply Brief in Pratt v. Westbrook- a case of mine currently before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the highest court in the Commonwealth, marking another significant step in what has become one of the most important Second Amendment cases currently pending in Massachusetts. At its core, my courageous client Mr. Westbrook, challenges the constitutionality of Massachusetts’ firearms licensing “unsuitability” framework, which permits the denial, suspension, or revocation of a License to Carry based on highly subjective standards that lack any objective criteria. The case raises fundamental questions under the Second and Fourteenth Amendments, including whether government officials may deprive law-abiding citizens of their right to keep and bear arms based on discretionary judgments untethered to the historical tradition of firearm regulation required by the United States Supreme Court in decisions such as New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.

I am deeply grateful to the members and leadership of the Gun Owners’ Action League (GOAL) for their indispensable support throughout this litigation and for their unwavering commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of Massachusetts gun owners. I am also pleased to report that discussions are ongoing with one or more major national firearms-rights organizations, and there is a possibility that additional amicus curiae briefs may be filed in the coming weeks. The issues presented in Pratt v. Westbrook have implications far beyond a single license appeal and may ultimately help determine the future scope of Second Amendment protections for law-abiding citizens throughout the Commonwealth.   I am ready to take the case to the United States Supreme Court if and when the time comes.

You can access the briefs and docket in the Westbrook case here:

https://www.ma-appellatecourts.org/docket/SJC-13822