Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/21pdf/20-843_7j80.pdf
Page Number: 135

52  NEW YORK STATE RIFLE & PISTOL ASSN., INC. v. BRUEN 

BREYER, J., dissenting 

New  York’s  Legislature  considered  the  empirical  evi-
dence about gun violence and adopted a reasonable licens-
ing law to regulate the concealed carriage of handguns in
order to keep the people of New York safe.  The Court today
strikes down that law based only on the pleadings.  It gives
the State no opportunity to present evidence justifying its 
reasons for adopting the law or showing how the law actu-
ally  operates  in  practice,  and  it  does  not  so  much  as 
acknowledge  these  important  considerations.   Because  I 
cannot agree with the Court’s decision to strike New York’s 
law down without allowing for discovery or the development 
of  any  evidentiary  record,  without  considering  the  State’s
compelling interest in preventing gun violence and protect-
ing  the  safety  of  its  citizens,  and  without  considering  the 
potentially  deadly  consequences  of  its  decision,  I  respect-
fully dissent.