PUSH TO REPEAL GRAVITY KNIFE BAN GAINS MOMENTUM

City prosecutors’ changing stances and a recent court ruling appear to be shifting the balance toward lifting the state ban on so-called gravity knives.

This year marks Albany lawmakers’ third attempt to repeal the folding knives prohibition, which opponents argue punishes thousands annually for holding blades commonly sold in stores, carried for work and believed by many to be perfectly legal.

Gravity knives are defined by users’ ability to quickly flick open and lock using just one hand — a standard a federal judge recently ruled vague.

The Legal Aid Society, which analyzed gravity knife cases in the city from the first half of 2018, found that 85% of those arrested for possession were black or Latino.

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