Federal judge strikes down New York body armor purchase ban
A federal judge in Buffalo struck down New York's restrictions on civilian purchase and possession of body armor, but stayed the ruling for 14 days.
By Jessica Hale, ClickNNY North Country Desk
A federal judge in Buffalo has struck down New York's ban on civilian purchase and possession of body armor, a ruling that affects restrictions enacted statewide in 2022. The decision was issued Wednesday, Oct. 21, in Heeter v. James.
U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. of the Western District of New York ruled that body armor is an arm protected by the Second Amendment. He also ruled that New York had not shown a historical tradition of regulating body armor or that modern body armor is dangerous or unusual.
The case was filed in July 2024 by the Firearms Policy Coalition on behalf of Benjamin Heeter, Joseph Wurtenberg and the organization. The defendants include New York Attorney General Letitia James and State Police Superintendent Steven G. James.
The ruling blocks enforcement of New York's restrictions on the purchase and sale of body armor. A separate law remains in effect that makes it a crime to wear body armor while committing certain violent felonies involving a firearm.
New York adopted the restrictions in 2022. The Firearms Policy Coalition has characterized the law as barring ordinary residents from buying protective armor unless they work in a government-approved profession. The restrictions followed advocacy after the 2022 mass shooting at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo.
The judge stayed the ruling for 14 days, giving the state time to appeal. That period runs to about Nov. 4, 2026. The case docket is available through Heeter v. James, and the Firearms Policy Coalition has posted the 47-page opinion.
Reported by ClickNNY and reviewed by an editor before publication.
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