New York Attorney General Letitia James has led a coalition of 22 attorneys general in advocating for state and federal laws that regulate gun sales. The coalition filed an amicus brief in U.S. v. Steven Perez, arguing that federal laws preventing individuals from transporting or receiving firearms from outside their state of residence, except through a federally licensed firearms dealer, are crucial for public safety. The brief, submitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, asserts that regulations on firearms dealers help reduce violent crime and aid law enforcement investigations.
"States and the federal government should be allowed to enforce basic regulations about who can buy and sell guns to ensure they don’t end up in the wrong hands and to protect our communities," said Attorney General James. "We know that these commonsense laws work and have prevented people from illegally obtaining firearms that could pose a significant threat to others. My office will continue to do everything in our power to stop senseless gun violence, and that includes supporting commonsense regulations on the sale of guns because these laws save lives."
In 2020, Steven Perez received illegally purchased weapons from an unlicensed firearms dealer in South Carolina, which were transported to him in New York City. Perez was later arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to prison in New York. He is appealing his conviction handed down by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, claiming it violates his Second Amendment right to carry a firearm.
Attorney General James and the multistate coalition argue that federal regulations on interstate gun transport enhance public safety, strengthen state gun laws, and do not infringe upon Second Amendment rights. They emphasize that state regulations of firearms dealers prevent misuse of guns and assist law enforcement in investigating gun-related crimes. For instance, 17 states require licensed firearms dealers to maintain detailed records of inventory and sales, aiding law enforcement with thorough information.
Joining Attorney General James in filing this amicus brief are attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont Washington Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
Attorney General James has been proactive in combating gun violence across New York State. In April 2024 she dismantled a gun trafficking ring selling ghost guns in Central New York secured a $7 8 million judgment against Indie Guns for illegal ghost gun component sales took down another ghost gun trafficking network in Dutchess County alongside narcotics traffickers indicted a Manhattan man for trafficking guns narcotics disrupted another ghost gun operation last August joined forces with other attorneys general defending Delaware’s assault weapon ban large capacity magazine restrictions