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The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) has filed a reply brief in a case challenging the unconstitutional search of an 18-year-old high school senior’s vehicle that was based solely on the knowledge that he is a legal gun owner.

In October last year, SAF filed Harrington v. Crawford after Hillsboro-Deering High School student Jack Harrington’s vehicle was illegally searched while parked on school grounds. Harrington lawfully owns a handgun and sometimes kept his firearm in his truck – in full compliance with all federal and state laws – but always removed the gun from his vehicle before going to school. When school authorities became aware of Harrington’s gun ownership, he was subjected to aggressive interrogation by district employees which culminated in his vehicle being searched without consent.

“The school’s knowledge that Jack was a lawful gun owner outside of school did not justify their search of his truck,” said SAF Senior Director of Legal Operations Bill Sack. “They had no information to indicate he had ever brought the gun to school or had done anything illegal or against school policy whatsoever. The search they conducted could not have been supported by probable cause or even reasonable suspicion. Administrators ignored repeated insistent refusals by Jack to provide consent and now rest their hat on the fact that after telling him the search was going to happen regardless, he replied ‘okay.’ That is not consent in the eyes of the law. Jack’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated here.”

As noted in the brief, “The burden lies with Defendants to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that valid, voluntary consent to the Search was given. Consent ‘coerced by threats or force, or granted only in submission to a claim of lawful authority’ is invalid. Moreover, the evidence of voluntary consent must be ‘unequivocal, specific, and intelligently given, uncontaminated by any duress or coercion.’ Consent obtained by coercion is invalid ‘no matter how subtly the coercion was applied.'”

“School district officials took it upon themselves to infringe on a lawful gun owner’s rights based on the baseless ‘possibility’ that he had committed a crime, which is not sufficient to justify a search,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. Read more

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and its partners are pleased to announce a settlement resolving the remaining claims in California Rifle and Pistol Association v. LASD, SAF’s challenge to numerous Second Amendment infringements by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD).

The settlement follows LASD’s representation that it is now processing concealed carry weapon (CCW) permit applications within the 120-day period required by California law. The case, originally filed to address multiple systemic barriers to the right to carry in California, produced several significant victories along the way. SAF is joined in the case by the California Rifle and Pistol Association, Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, Gun Owners of California and several individuals.

“This case was ambitious from the start, tackling several different obstacles Californians and visitors faced when trying to exercise their Second Amendment right to carry,” said SAF Director of Legal Research and Education Kostas Moros. “While we settled the remaining claims against LASD once they demonstrated compliance with the statutory timelines, the broader impact of the litigation is clear: California residents and nonresidents alike now have more Second Amendment freedoms thanks to the diligent work of SAF and its partners. We will continue monitoring to ensure these gains are not rolled back.”

Among the key results: Read more

Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a motion for preliminary injunction in Renna v. Bonta, a Second Amendment lawsuit challenging California’s handgun bans, including the State’s “Roster” ban, microstamping ban, and ban on semiautomatic handguns with cruciform trigger bars (including nearly every Glock and Glock-style pistol on the market). Today’s motion is limited to the cruciform trigger bar ban; FPC’s district court preliminary injunction victory against parts of California’s handgun Roster is pending a decision at the Ninth Circuit.

The plaintiffs include FPC, individual and retailer FPC members, San Diego County Gun Owners PAC, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Second Amendment Foundation, and National Rifle Association of America. They are represented by Bradley A. Benbrook and Stephen M. Duvernay of Benbrook Law Group, PC.

The motion was filed on August 4, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

California’s handgun ban scheme unconstitutionally prevents peaceable people from acquiring some of the most popular handguns in America. FPC filed the motion to prevent enforcement of the State’s “Glock ban” while the case proceeds on the merits.

“California is the unmistakable leader in innovating new and creative ways to impose tyranny. Read more

A judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas has ruled that the remaining registration scheme for short-barreled rifles and suppressors in the National Firearms Act (NFA) is unconstitutional in Jensen v. ATF, a case supported by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF).

Since 1934, the NFA required anyone who wished to purchase certain classes of firearms, including silencers and short-barreled rifles, to pay a $200 tax and register the firearm with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), purportedly drawing from Congressional authority to levy taxes. Through the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, however, the tax on these arms was eliminated but the registration requirement was left in place. SAF and its partners have filed three lawsuits challenging the remaining registration requirements, because without the tax, Congress’ reliance on their taxing power is no longer justifiable.

“The basis for each lawsuit challenging the NFA registration scheme is the same – without the tax, the remaining requirements for the affected arms under the NFA have no constitutional basis,” said SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut. “And today the first court to rule on the issue has agreed with us. We’re eager to continue this fight and leave major portions of the NFA in the dustbin of history. A big win is a great way to kick things off.”

SAF itself is a named plaintiff in NFA lawsuit Brown v. ATF and is backing two additional challenges – Roberts v. ATF and this case, Jensen v. ATF. Plaintiffs in Jensen are SAF sister organization – the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, FPC Action Foundation, Texas Rifle Association, Hot Shots Custom and three individuals.

“The removal of the $200 tax in the One Big Beautiful Bill offers the best opportunity to remove the NFA registration requirements that we’ve had in almost a century,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. Read more