Legislative Update

Knife Rights is going forward with an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States of the Second Circuit’s decision in favor of New York City and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. in our long running civil rights lawsuit over their persecution of pocket knife owners. While our lawsuit against New York City and DA Vance centers on their abusive enforcement of New York State’s gravity knife ban against owners of common pocket knives, … Continued... Read More

As previously reported, New York State’s highest court, in a ruling that caught us and others by complete surprise, upheld the conviction of a person who possessed an assisted-opening knife as being an illegal switchblade. Knife Rights submitted a motion for reargument based on ineffective counsel, but it was denied. Owners of assisted-opening knives in New York State are now put in legal jeopardy. Based on reports from a number of defense attorneys, … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights was featured in a front page story in Sunday’s Washington Post in an article by Todd C. Frankel that was widely republished by other media outlets. The reporter was fascinated with our success as a Second Amendment organization that in almost every instance enjoys bipartisan support as we have repealed knife bans in 21 states. It is a generally favorable article from a paper not known for its love of the Second Amendment. … Continued... Read More

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has rejected Plaintiff-Appellants’ petition for a rehearing by the full Court known as “en banc.” Despite conflict with four well-establish U.S. Supreme Court and Second Circuit precedents, the full court will not reconsider the badly flawed three-judge panel’s decision in favor of New York City and DA Cyrus Vance Jr. in Knife Rights’ long-running federal civil rights case. At issue is the City’s policy of treating any locking blade folding knife that can be “wrist flicked” … Continued... Read More

August 1st is Switchblade Freedom Day in Louisiana when Knife Rights’ Switchblade Ban Repeal bill, HB 892, goes into effect. HB 892 repealed the total ban on switchblade knives in Louisiana and allows for the possession of a switchblade knife provided it is not “intentionally concealed on one’s person.” That provision was necessary to gain the neutrality of the Sheriffs and the State Police. Manufacture and sale of automatic knives are also now legal. … Continued... Read More

Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) has introduced S.3264, the Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2018 (KOPA) including repeal of the Federal Switchblade Act. This is a companion to the House KOPA bill, H.R.84, introduced last year. Originally conceived and authored by Knife Rights in 2010 and first introduced in 2013, KOPA will remove the irrational restrictions on interstate trade in automatic knives that are legal to one degree or another in 44 states, … Continued... Read More

Legal Aid Society has filed an Amicus Curiae (friend of the court) brief in support of Knife Rights’ petition for a rehearing en banc (by the full court), in Knife Rights’ long-running federal civil rights case against New York City and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. At issue is the City’s and DA’s policy of treating any locking blade folding knife that can be “wrist flicked” open as a prohibited gravity knife. … Continued... Read More

In response to the unfortunate decision last month by New York’s highest court which upheld the conviction of a defendant for having an illegal switchblade, when in fact he had an assisted opening knife, a Motion for Reargument and an Amicus Curiae Brief were both filed Monday. The motion for reargument notes that the defendant’s pro bono attorneys provided ineffective counsel, at least in part due to their own ignorance of the differences between an assisted opening (spring assisted) knife and a switchblade. … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights has filed its petition for a rehearing by the full Court, known as “en banc,” after a three judge panel of The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in favor of New York City and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. in Knife Rights’ long-running federal civil rights case. At issue is the City’s policy of treating any locking blade folding knife that can be “wrist flicked” … Continued... Read More

The Senate Commerce Committee today reported problematic S.1092, the Interstate Transport Act of 2018, out of committee. Sponsored by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), S.1092 attempts to protect knife owners traveling interstate with knives. This bill is a weaker and problematic version of Knife Rights’ Knife Owners’ Protection Act (KOPA). S.1092 would theoretically provide safe harbor to someone traveling with knives where it is lawful for the knives to be possessed at both the points of origin and destination, … Continued... Read More

On Friday, June 23rd, a three judge panel of The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in favor of New York City and District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. in Knife Rights’ long-running federal civil rights case challenging the City’s policy of treating any locking blade folding knife that can be “flicked” open as a prohibited gravity knife. Knife Rights intends to petition for review of this erroneous decision by the full Court — … Continued... Read More

As if New York wasn’t already a confusing legal and regulatory nightmare for honest, law-abiding knife owners, the highest court in the state just upheld, in a one paragraph opinion, the conviction of a 36-year-old mail-room worker with no priors in possession of an assisted opening (spring-assisted) folding knife that he used in his work under the theory that it was an illegal switchblade knife under New York law. The decision was overwhelming, … Continued... Read More

Knife Rights’ bill to repeal Louisiana’s antiquated ban on the possession of switchblade knives, HB 892, was signed today by Governor Edwards! Switchblade Freedom Day in Louisiana will be August 1, 2018, when the new law goes into effect. We’d like to acknowledge Representative Mark Wright for his sponsorship and leadership and Senator Bodi White for shepherding the bill through the Senate. Thanks to all of you who called and emailed your legislators and Governor Edwards to ask them to support the bill. … Continued... Read More

Colorado Springs recently repealed their local ban on switchblades and gravity knives. Click here to read the ordinance that was passed. Knife Rights would like to congratulate our good friend Air Force Master Sgt. (Ret) John Bloodgood for this notable accomplishment. When Knife Rights was able to help repeal Colorado’s ban on switchblades and gravity knives last year, that bill did not include preemption which would have nullified all local bans. … Continued... Read More