California Ban on Handgun Advertising Ruled Unconstitutional in Federal Court

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that California’s ban on handgun advertising is unconstitutional.

Judge Troy Nunley of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, an Obama appointee, ruled California could no longer enforce Section 26820 of the California Penal Code, which dates back to 1923. That law banned gun stores from displaying signs promoting the sale of handguns. California argued the ban was necessary to prevent suicides and murders but Judge Nunley said it violates constitutional protections on free speech.

"California may not accomplish its goals by violating the First Amendment," Nunley wrote in his ruling. "Accordingly, [the law] is unconstitutional on its face."

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