Tracy Rifle & Pistol LLC v. Harris

339 F. Supp. 3d 1007
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedSeptember 10, 2018
DocketNo. 2:14-cv-02626-TLN-DB
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 339 F. Supp. 3d 1007 (Tracy Rifle & Pistol LLC v. Harris) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tracy Rifle & Pistol LLC v. Harris, 339 F. Supp. 3d 1007 (E.D. Cal. 2018).

Opinion

III. ANALYSIS

Plaintiffs challenge § 26820 as unconstitutional under the First Amendment, both on its face and as applied. (ECF No. 22 ¶ 37.) To succeed in a facial challenge, "the challenger must establish that no set of circumstances exists under which the [statute] would be valid." United States v. Salerno , 481 U.S. 739, 745, 107 S.Ct. 2095, 95 L.Ed.2d 697 (1987). The Government, conversely, argues the law survives intermediate scrutiny and therefore is not unconstitutional. (ECF No. 52 at 16-17.) The Supreme Court has set out a four-part test to guide the constitutional analysis of commercial speech.

At the outset, we must determine whether the expression is protected by the First Amendment. For commercial speech to come within that provision, it at least must concern lawful activity and not be misleading. Next, we ask whether the asserted governmental interest is substantial. If both inquiries yield positive answers, we must determine whether the regulation directly advances the governmental interest asserted, and whether it is not more extensive than is necessary to serve that interest.

Cent. Hudson Gas & Elec. Corp. v. Pub. Serv. Comm'n of N.Y. , 447 U.S. 557, 566, 100 S.Ct. 2343, 65 L.Ed.2d 341 (1980). If the Court finds that the affected speech is not misleading or related to unlawful activity, "the government bears the burden of showing that it has a substantial interest, that the restriction directly advances that interest and that the restriction is not more extensive than necessary to serve the interest." Valle Del Sol Inc. v. Whiting , 709 F.3d 808, 816 (9th Cir. 2013).

A. Whether the Speech Concerns Lawful Activity and Is Nonmisleading

To qualify for First Amendment protection, the Court must first determine whether the commercial speech concerns lawful activity and is not misleading. Cent. Hudson , 447 U.S. at 566, 100 S.Ct. 2343. The parties agree that on-site handgun advertisements concern lawful activity-purchasing a handgun from a licensed dealer-and are not misleading. (ECF No. 51-1 at 13; ECF No. 52 at 14.) Indeed, not only is purchasing a handgun from a licensed dealer lawful, it is constitutionally protected. Dist. of Columbia v. Heller , 554 U.S. 570, 635, 128 S.Ct. 2783, 171 L.Ed.2d 637 (2008). Therefore, the first prong of the Central Hudson test is satisfied.

B. Whether the Government's Interests Are Substantial

Next, the Government must demonstrate that "the asserted governmental interest is substantial." Cent. Hudson , 447 U.S. at 566, 100 S.Ct. 2343. Here, the Government advances two interests in support of its argument that § 26820 withstands First Amendment scrutiny. First, the Government asserts it has a substantial interest in reducing handgun suicide. (ECF No. 52 at 18.) Second, the Government asserts it has a substantial interest in reducing handgun crime. (ECF No. 52 *1013at 23.) Plaintiffs do not dispute these are substantial governmental interests. (See ECF No. 51-1 at 13; ECF No. 55 at 5-6.) Therefore, the Court assumes that the Government's stated interests are substantial.

C. Whether § 26820 Directly and Materially Advances the Governmental Interests Asserted

The third prong of the Central Hudson test requires the Government to show that "the speech restriction directly and materially advances the asserted governmental interest[s]." Greater New Orleans Broad. Ass'n v. United States , 527 U.S. 173, 188, 119 S.Ct. 1923, 144 L.Ed.2d 161 (1999). This prong is "critical; otherwise, 'a State could with ease restrict commercial speech in the service of other objectives that could not themselves justify a burden on commercial expression.' " Rubin v. Coors Brewing Co. , 514 U.S. 476, 487, 115 S.Ct. 1585, 131 L.Ed.2d 532 (1995) (quoting Edenfield v. Fane , 507 U.S. 761, 771, 113 S.Ct. 1792, 123 L.Ed.2d 543 (1993) ). "It is well established that 'the party seeking to uphold a restriction on commercial speech carries the burden of justifying it.' " Edenfield , 507 U.S. at 770

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