WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to determine whether it has engaged in a “pattern or practice” of depriving residents of their Second Amendment rights through extensive delays in concealed handgun license processing.
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division announced the inquiry Friday as part of a broader review of restrictive firearms laws in California and other states. The move follows a recent federal court ruling that found two plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their lawsuit against the department after experiencing an 18-month delay in the issuance of their concealed carry permits.
Key Points:
- DOJ investigating LA Sheriff’s Department over alleged Second Amendment violations
- Probe follows federal court ruling over 18-month concealed carry delays
- AG Bondi says DOJ will pursue additional investigations if rights are denied
“There is reason to believe that those two plaintiffs are not the only residents of Los Angeles County experiencing similarly long delays,” the department said. “These delays may be unduly burdening, or effectively denying, the Second Amendment rights of the people of Los Angeles.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized that the Second Amendment will be enforced on par with other constitutional rights. “This Department of Justice will not stand idly by while States and localities infringe on the Second Amendment rights of ordinary, law-abiding Americans,” Bondi said.
The investigation also targets broader statewide practices in California, where the DOJ says new legislation and local enforcement have combined to impose excessive fees and wait times on law-abiding residents seeking to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms.
Bondi warned that Friday’s announcement could be the first of many actions targeting jurisdictions accused of obstructing gun rights. “If necessary, today’s announcement will be the first of many similar investigations, lawsuits, or other actions,” she added.
The Department of Justice cited recent Supreme Court rulings that reaffirm the Second Amendment as a “fundamental, individual constitutional right,” pushing back on jurisdictions it says are treating it as a lesser protection.
