Hawaii cited a slave code to defend its gun law, and the court was not buying it

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What we know

Hawaii cited a slave code as legal justification in defending its gun law. The court rejected the argument.

Patriot Watch first flagged this story 1 d ago, when Washington Examiner reported it. So far this remains a single-source report. The most recent report came 1 d ago from Washington Examiner. Verification tier: Watching — single-source — not yet independently corroborated.

⚖ The Constitutional Angle

Wolford v. Lopez held that Hawaii's law barring licensed concealed-carry holders from carrying handguns on private property open to the public without express owner authorization violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. Bruen requires the government to justify a gun regulation by demonstrating consistency with the Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation. Hawaii's slave-code defense failed that history-and-tradition test.

Jason Wolford v. Anne E. Lopez, Attorney General of Hawaii 609 U.S. ___ (2026) (slip op.); U.S. Reports page not yet assigned

Vote: 6-3 · Opinion: Alito

Hawaii's law (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 134-9.5(a) (2023)) prohibiting licensed concealed-carry permit holders from carrying handguns on private property open to the public without the owner's express authorization violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments.

New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Kevin P. Bruen, Superintendent of New York State Police 597 U.S. 1 (2022)

Vote: 6-3 · Opinion: Thomas

New York's requirement that applicants demonstrate 'proper cause' — a special need for self-protection distinguishable from the general community — to obtain an unrestricted public-carry license violates the Fourteenth Amendment by preventing law-abiding citizens with ordinary self-defense needs from exercising their Second Amendment…

Precedent facts from the PW Law Library — primary-source verified & independently audited