Florida Judge Rules Post Office Firearm Ban Unconstitutional, Citing Supreme Court Precedent

On Friday, a Florida federal judge ruled against the U.S. law that prohibits individuals from carrying firearms in post offices, declaring it unconstitutional. This decision aligns with the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that broadened gun rights.

Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump in Tampa, came to this decision while dismissing a portion of the charges against a postal worker accused of illegal gun possession in a federal facility.

Mizelle argued that the charge against Emmanuel Ayala violated his Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. She highlighted that "a blanket restriction on firearms possession in post offices does not align with the traditional American approach to firearms regulation."

However, Mizelle upheld a separate charge against Ayala for resisting arrest. Neither Ayala's attorney nor a representative from the U.S. Justice Department responded to requests for comments on the ruling.

This case is part of a series of recent legal decisions overturning gun restrictions, following the Supreme Court's June 2022 ruling in the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. This landmark decision acknowledged the individual's right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense and set a new standard for evaluating firearms laws, emphasizing consistency with the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation.

Ayala, a U.S. Postal Service truck driver from Tampa with a concealed weapons permit, was carrying a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun in his fanny pack for self-defense. He faced indictment after reportedly bringing the gun onto Postal Service property in 2012 and evading federal agents attempting to apprehend him.

He faced charges under a broad statute prohibiting firearms in federal facilities, including post offices.

Judge Mizelle noted that while post offices have been around since the nation's founding, the federal prohibition of guns in government buildings only began in 1964 and in post offices in 1972. She found no historical precedent dating back to the 1700s to justify the ban.

Mizelle further stated that allowing the federal government to restrict visitors from bringing guns into government buildings as a condition of entry could potentially "erode the right to bear arms to the point of practical non-existence."