Ruling in Printz v. United States, on June 27, 1997, the majority opinion declared that “The Brady Act’s interim provision commanding CLEOs to conduct background checks, §922(s)(2), is unconstitutional. Extinguished with it is the duty implicit in the background-check requirement that the CLEO accept completed handgun-applicant statements (Brady Forms) from firearms dealers, §§922(s)(1)(A)(i)(III) and (IV)."
The question presented was:
"[W]hether certain interim provisions of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, Pub. L. 103–159, 107 Stat. 1536, commanding state and local law enforcement officers to conduct background checks on prospective handgun purchasers and to perform certain related tasks, violate the Constitution."
Oral Arguments
You can hear the oral arguments for this case here:
Or listen to them directly on the Supreme Court's website here.
The Ruling
You can read the final ruling in Printz v. United States either in our read in full below, or click here for a PDF.
