On October 12, District Court Judge Hendrix granted the Pam Bondi Justice Department’s request to extend briefing deadlines in a case that is challenging the National Firearms Act. His order also gives a possible clue as to what the DOJ’s legal posture will be in this case.
This comes on the heels of the coalition of gun rights groups, who are the plaintiffs, moving to request summary judgment on October 7, as we previously reported.
In his one-page order, in the case of Silencer Shop v. Bondi, Judge Hendrix states that the court granted the motion after “finding good cause for an extension of the deadlines.”
The DOJ intends to oppose the motion for summary judgment and has until November 20 to file its related motions. Following that, the plaintiffs must file their responses by December 15. The court notes that other scheduling deadlines remain in place.
The order illustrates how court cases on even seemingly critical issues, such as civil liberties, can drag on for inordinate amounts of time.
The order also raises questions about the DOJ’s ultimate posture in this case. As we’ve reported, the DOJ has a mixed history of supporting some pro-Second Amendment initiatives, while opposing others, in a mixed bag of responses that has left many wondering what their strategy is with regard to executing President Trump’s Executive Order to protect the Second Amendment.
