Gov. Christie Declines to Defend NJ Gun Laws in Court

Appellate court upheld restrictions anyway

Gov. Chris Christie's administration declined to defend two of New Jersey's toughest gun laws in a high-profile case decided today by a state appeals court.

The appellate court upheld two laws imposing strict requirements for people seeking permits to carry concealed firearms, ruling in an 86-page opinion against two retired arson investigators in the Newark Fire Department who were denied the permits after more than a decade on the job.

Writing for the court, Judge Jane Grall said the Republican governor's administration "regrettably" refused to defend the two state laws being challenged.

"The Attorney General participated in the (trial court) but, regrettably, declined to participate here," Grall wrote for the three-judge panel.