Knife Rights’ New York Gravity Knife Law Reform Bill, A.5667 passed in the Assembly by a vote of 128-1. This is the fourth year in a row that the Assembly has passed a bill to stop the abuse of the state’s gravity knife statute by New York City. Last year’s bill passed the Assembly 117-12. Now the Senate will consider their identical version of the bill, S.4769. Last year the bill passed in the Senate 61-1.
This year’s bill removes “centrifugal force” from the definition of a gravity knife and adds “solely” to create a bright line definition that even overzealous New York City law enforcement and prosecutors can understand, as desired by the Governor. It would preclude the unconstitutionally vague “wrist flick” test that has resulted in over 60,000 arrests and prosecutions in New York City which the Governor himself described as “absurd” in vetoing last year’s bill on New Year’s Eve.
Any true gravity knife, as the term is understood everywhere but in New York, will still be prohibited by the “released from the handle or sheath thereof solely by the force of gravity” portion of the definition, but common folding knives could no longer be considered gravity knives.
A.5667 is sponsored once again by Assemblyman Dan Quart. The battle now moves to the Senate where S.4769 is sponsored once again by Senator Diane Savino. Both sponsors have been relentless in their pursuit of justice for New York City’s residents and visitors.
Meanwhile, our six-year-old Federal civil rights lawsuit over the constitutionality of New York City’s “wrist flick” test continues with our appeal brief due to be filed by June 1st.