Hawaii County will appeal the recent decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the matter of Young v. State of Hawaii, No. 12-17808, 2018 WL 3542985 (9th Cir. July 24, 2018). Last week a three-judge panel struck down a Hawaii law prohibiting open carry of firearms on the grounds that it violated the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. The County will request an en banc rehearing by nine Ninth Circuit judges, which will likely take several months to complete.
In the meantime, if the County asks to maintain the status quo and leave the law prohibiting open carrying of weapons in place for now, this gives employers, and employers operating public accommodations, a short reprieve before having to implement new policies for the safety of employees as well as customers.
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