The Pam Bondi Justice Department asked the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to moot a case in a recent filing – and they got their way, removing the possibility of a standing pro-Second Amendment victory that could endure beyond the present administration.
The 2020 lawsuit was brought by Gun Owners of America in a complaint known as Gun Owners of America v. Department of Justice, addressing a case that challenged the DOJ’s position that Michigan’s Concealed Pistol License was not an alternative to NICS background checks.
The 31-page DOJ filing on June 23 advised the court that “The United States does not believe that oral argument is necessary in this case,” asking the court to moot the case because the ATF reversed its 2020 position noting that, “ATF has reconsidered the determination challenged in this case and has concluded that Michigan concealed pistol licenses qualify as valid background check alternatives. Therefore, ATF’s previous policy no longer has any effect, and this suit is moot.”
On October 31, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals obliged the DOJ, issuing a one-page order dismissing the complaint for lack of standing, vacating the judgment, and remanding to the lower court with instructions to dismiss it as moot.
However, Gun Owners of America, who brought the case, noted that mooting a case is not equivalent to a standing victory that can act as future precedent, stating on X that “This means that the next Democrat administration will quickly re-enact the same anti-gun policy with impunity,” adding, “…we are VERY disappointed that @TheJusticeDept misused this pro-gun action to sabotage our lawsuit.”
You can see all Second Amendment-related actions from the Pam Bondi DOJ in our tracker.
