Worth v. Harrington (18-20 Permit to Carry Case)

CASE SUMMARY

In this case, the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, along with 3 individual plaintiffs and two national gun rights groups, are suing the State of Minnesota and three county sheriffs to restore the right of adults under 21 years of age to carry loaded, operable arms in public for self-defense and other lawful purposes.

CASE DETAILS

• Case Title:  Kristin Worth, Austin Dye, Axel Anderson, Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, Second Amendment Foundation, & Firearms Policy Coalition, Inc. v. John Harrington, Don Lorge, Troy Wolbersen, and Dan Starry.
• Current Court:  United States District Court for the District of Minnesota – the case is currently assigned to Judge Katherine M. Menendez
• Previous Court(s):  N/A.
• Case #:   0:21-CV-01348
• Docket:  View the case docket by clicking here

NEWS COVERAGE

• June 8th, 2021:  Bearing Arms – 2A groups launch legal challenge to Minnesota carry laws
• June 9th, 2021:  Star Tribune – Three young adults, gun groups sue over Minnesota’s 21 age requirement for gun carry permits
• June 9th, 2021:  Associated Press – Young adults sue for right to carry guns in Minnesota
• June 9th, 2021:  KARE-11 – Three young adults sue for right to carry guns in Minnesota
• June 9th, 2021:  WCCO – 3 young adults file federal lawsuit, sue for right to carry guns in Minnesota
• June 15th, 2021:  Bemidji Pioneer – 18-year-old sues central Minnesota sheriff as part of a challenge to state’s gun laws
• June 30th, 2021:  Mille Lacs Messenger – Milaca woman sues over right to carry a handgun
• September 4th, 2022:  Star Tribune – National groups intervene in federal suit over Minnesota’s age limit for carrying handguns

MINNESOTA GUN OWNERS CAUCUS TIMELINE & ACTIONS

The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus is a plaintiff in this case.

• June 7th, 2021:  Complaint filed in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
  • Press Releases:  MN Gun Owners Caucus, Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation
• June 25th, 2021:  Response filed by the 3 County Sheriffs to the initial complaint
• August 13th, 2021:  Response filed by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety
• August 23rd, 2021:  Scheduling Order
• September 2021:  Rule 26(f) Planning Meeting
• September 23rd, 2021:
  • Plaintiff’s Statement of the Case
  • Defendant Commissioner John Harrington’s Statement of the Case
  • Defendant – County Sheriffs’s Statement of the Case
• October 15th, 2021:  Scheduling Order
• August 4th, 2022:
  • Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment
  • Plaintiff’s Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion for Summary Judgement
    • Exhibit Index
    • Exhibit A – MN Uniform Firearm Application Permit to Carry a Pistol
    • Exhibit B – Declaration of Kristin Worth
    • Exhibit C – Declaration of Austin Dye
    • Exhibit D – Declaration of Axel Anderson
    • Exhibit E – Declaration of Bryan Strawser
    • Exhibit F – Declaration of Alan Gottlieb
    • Exhibit G – Declaration of Brandon Combs
    • Exhibit H – Transcript of Deposition of Dr. Saul Cornell
  • Plaintiff’s Notice of Hearing
  • Defendant John Harrington – Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment
  • Defendant “Sheriffs” – Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment
  • Giffords Law Center – Motion to enter as Amicus
  • Giffords Law Center – Memorandum of Law in Support of Amicus Brief
  • Giffords Law Center – Proposed Amicus Brief
• August 25th, 2022:
  • Plaintiff’s Motion in Opposition of Motion to Dismiss
  • Defendant “Sheriffs” – Motion in Opposition of Motion for Summary Judgement
  • Defendant John Harrington – Motion in Opposition of Motion for Summary Judgement
• September 8th, 2022:
  • Plaintiff’s Reply in Support of their Motion for Summary Judgment
  • Defendant John Harrington – Reply Memorandum in Support of his Motion for Summary Judgement
  • Defendant “Sheriffs” – Reply Memorandum in Support of their Motion for Summary Judgement

COUNSEL OF RECORD

The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus is represented in this case by Blair W. Nelson of Blair W. Nelson, Ltd. in Bemidji and David H. Thompson, Peter A. Patterson, and William V. Bergstrom of Cooper and Kirk PLLC in Washington, DC.

NEXT STEPS

• A hearing was held on October 5th, 2022 at 10:00 am in Courtroom 3A at the Warren E. Burger Federal Building & US Courthouse, 316 N. Robert Street, Room 100, Saint Paul, MN 55101 before Judge Katherine Menendez.
• We are awaiting the Judge’s ruling on the current motions before the court.

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