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Red Flag Laws

Buffalo-shooting-aftermath-5-14-22-Newscom

New York

The Buffalo Massacre Illustrates the Inherent Limitations of 'Red Flag' Laws

Predicting violence is a lot harder than people claim in retrospect, and a wider net inevitably ensnares more innocent people.

Jacob Sullum | 5.18.2022 4:00 PM

Merrick-Garland-6-15-21-Newscom

Red Flag Laws

The Biden Administration's Model 'Red Flag' Law Belies the Justice Department's Avowed Commitment to Due Process

The Justice Department's proposal encourages states to take away people's Second Amendment rights based on little more than bare allegations.

Jacob Sullum | 6.21.2021 3:30 PM

zumaamericaseight510550

Guns

Biden's Gun Schemes Illustrate the Foolishness of Firearms Regulations

Rules range from absurd to appalling without respect for civil liberties or basic logic.

J.D. Tuccille | 6.18.2021 7:00 AM

San-Jose-shooting-5-26-21-Newscom

Mass Shootings

Why Didn't California's 'Red Flag' Law Stop the San Jose Shooter?

Even when states authorize gun confiscation orders, identifying would-be mass shooters is a daunting challenge.

Jacob Sullum | 5.27.2021 3:05 PM

gun-red-flag-dreamstime

Mass Shootings

The Indianapolis Shooting Highlights the Shortcomings of 'Red Flag' Laws

Although police seized the perpetrator's shotgun when he was deemed suicidal, he was never identified as a potential murderer.

Jacob Sullum | 4.19.2021 12:45 PM

Joe-Biden-4-7-21-Newscom

Gun Control

Joe Biden Learns To Love Gun Control by Presidential Fiat

The president's unilateral restrictions are legally dubious and unlikely to "save lives."

Jacob Sullum | 4.8.2021 3:15 PM

demon-PickPik

Gun Control

She Said He Said He Saw Demons. Then He Had to Give Up His Guns.

A bizarre Florida “red flag” case shows the importance of safeguards that protect people’s Second Amendment rights.

Jacob Sullum | 3.5.2020 8:30 AM

Ralph-Northam-VC-Flickr

Gun Control

Virginia's Pending 'Red Flag' Law Includes Improvements but Still Falls Short of Due Process

The bill's requirements for "emergency" orders are loose, and it does not give respondents a right to a court-appointed lawyer.

Jacob Sullum | 1.29.2020 9:00 AM

CO-AG-Phil-Weiser

Gun Control

Fiscal Analysis of Colorado's New 'Red Flag' Law Assumes Gun Confiscation Orders Will Be Granted 95% of the Time

Such a high approval rate reflects the threat these laws pose to due process and the Second Amendment.

Jacob Sullum | 1.3.2020 3:25 PM

Cuomo-signing-red-flag-bill-2-25-19

Gun Control

New York's New 'Red Flag' Law Illustrates the Due Process Problems Posed by Gun Confiscation Orders

When it comes to deciding who should keep their Second Amendment rights, the deck is stacked against gun owners.

Jacob Sullum | 8.23.2019 2:05 PM

empty-holster-youtube

Mass Shootings

Do These 21 Mass Shootings That Did Not Happen Show the Benefits of California's 'Red Flag' Law?

Only if you assume they would have happened in the absence of gun confiscation orders.

Jacob Sullum | 8.20.2019 5:05 PM

sipaphotosnine229943

Social Media

The Government Wants a 'Red Flag' Social Media Tool. That's a Terrible Idea.

The FBI is looking for companies to comb through social media posts and pinpoint possible threats ahead of time. Think of it like a meme-illiterate Facebook-stalking precog from Minority Report.

Andrea O'Sullivan | 8.20.2019 7:58 AM

Lindsey-Graham-Fox-News-8-12-19

Due Process

Lindsey Graham's Dishonest Defense of 'Red Flag' Laws

"The Second Amendment is not a suicide pact," the senator says, while glossing over the due process issues raised by gun confiscation orders.

Jacob Sullum | 8.14.2019 1:05 PM

reason-cuomo

2nd Amendment

Trump Suggests 'Red Flag' Laws Be Used to Take CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo's Guns Away After Viral 'Fredo' Outburst

Do we want Trump in charge of deciding who’s too crazy to own a gun?

Christian Britschgi | 8.13.2019 12:00 PM

El-Paso-shooting-shrine-Newscom

Psychology/Psychiatry

The Puzzle of Identifying Future Mass Murderers Cannot Be Solved by Psychiatry, Background Checks, or Red Flag Laws

If "the notion that we can identify mass killers before they act" is a "fiction," the conventional policy responses to mass shootings are unlikely to be effective.

Jacob Sullum | 8.9.2019 2:30 PM

Trump-speech-8-5-19-WH

Gun Control

'Red Flag' Laws Leave Gun Owners Defenseless

The Trump-endorsed response to mass shootings gives due process short shrift.

Jacob Sullum | 8.7.2019 12:01 AM

Zackari-Parrish-DCSO

Gun Control

Colorado's New 'Red Flag' Law Illustrates the Pitfalls of Disarming People Based on Their Future Behavior

The process for obtaining "extreme risk protection orders" that take away people's Second Amendment rights is rigged against gun owners from the outset.

Jacob Sullum | 4.29.2019 2:05 PM

Large image on homepages

Hit & Run

Hundreds of Floridians Ordered to Surrender Guns Thanks to 'Red Flag' Law, Report Says

Critics say the "red flag" law is violating Floridians' constitutional rights.

Joe Setyon | 7.31.2018 11:00 AM

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