NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION v. BONDI et al

Filing 1

COMPLAINT against All Defendants ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number AFLNDC-4118013.), filed by NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION. (LOCURTO, CLIFFORD)

Case 4:18-cv-00137-MW-CAS Document 1 Filed 03/09/18 Page 1 of 13

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION
OF AMERICA, INC.,
11250 Waples Mill Road,
Fairfax, VA 22030,

)
)
)
)
)
Plaintiff,
)
)
v.
)
PAM BONDI, in her Official Capacity )
)
as Attorney General of Florida,
) Civil Action No. ___________
Office of Attorney General
)
State of Florida
)
The Capitol PL-01
)
Tallahassee, FL 32399, and
)
)
RICK SWEARINGEN, in his Official
Capacity as Commissioner of the Florida )
)
Department of Law Enforcement,
Florida Department of Law Enforcement )
)
2331 Phillips Road
)
Tallahassee, FL 32308,
)
Defendants.
)

COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE
RELIEF
Plaintiff, the National Rifle Association of America, Inc., by and through the
undersigned attorneys, files this Complaint against the above-captioned
Defendants, in their official capacities as state officials responsible under Florida

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law for administering and enforcing the State’s laws and regulations governing the
sale of firearms. Plaintiff seeks declaratory and injunctive relief: a declaration that
Florida’s law banning adult, law-abiding citizens under the age of 21 from
purchasing firearms of any kind is unconstitutional under the Second and
Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and an injunction
compelling Defendants to refrain from enforcing that invalid ban and to allow
Plaintiff’s members to purchase firearms to defend themselves, their families, and
their homes. In support of its Complaint against Defendants, Plaintiff hereby
alleges as follows:
INTRODUCTION
1.

The Second Amendment “guarantee[s] the individual right to possess

and carry” firearms, and “elevates above all other interests the right of law-abiding,
responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home.” District of
Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570, 635 (2008).
2.

The State of Florida, however, has recently prohibited an entire class

of law-abiding, responsible citizens from fully exercising the right to keep and bear
arms—namely, adults who have reached the age of 18 but are not yet 21. Florida
flatly bans such persons from purchasing firearms, whether from federally licensed
firearms dealers or from any other source.

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3.

At 18 years of age, law-abiding citizens in this country are considered

adults for almost all purposes and certainly for the purposes of the exercise of
fundamental constitutional rights. At 18, citizens are eligible to serve in the
military—to fight and die by arms for the country. Indeed, male citizens in this
age-group are designated members of the militia by federal statute, 10 U.S.C. §
246(a), and may be conscripted to bear arms on behalf of their country, 50 U.S.C.
§ 3803(a). Yet, newly-enacted Section 790.065(13) of Florida’s criminal code
prohibits law-abiding adults in this age group from lawfully purchasing a firearm
of any kind.
4.

This blanket ban violates the fundamental rights of thousands of

responsible, law-abiding Florida citizens and is thus invalid under the Second and
Fourteenth Amendments.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
5.

This Court has subject-matter jurisdiction over Plaintiff’s claims

under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1343.
6.

Plaintiff seeks remedies under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1651, 2201, and 2202 and

42 U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 1988.
7.

Venue is proper in this Court under 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b)(1) & (b)(2).
PARTIES

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8.

Plaintiff National Rifle Association of America, Inc. (“NRA”) is a

nonprofit association incorporated under the laws of New York. Founded in 1871,
the NRA is the oldest civil rights organization in America and the Nation’s
foremost defender of Second Amendment rights. Among other things, the NRA
promotes the safe and responsible purchase, possession, and use of firearms by
law-abiding adults for lawful purposes, such as self-defense, target practice,
marksmanship competition, and hunting. The NRA is the leading provider of
firearms marksmanship and safety training for civilians and law-enforcement
officers. The NRA has a membership of approximately five million persons, many
thousands of whom reside throughout the state of Florida. Its principal place of
business is 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030.
9.

Defendant Pam Bondi is the Attorney General of Florida. As Attorney

General, she is responsible for directing and supervising the prosecution of all
offenses against Florida’s criminal law, including the ban on purchasing firearms
at issue in this case. Her official address is Office of Attorney General, State of
Florida, The Capitol PL-01, Tallahassee, FL 32399. She is being sued in her
official capacity.
10.

Defendant Rick Swearingen is the Commissioner and Executive

Director of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. As Commissioner, he
exercises, delegates, or supervises all the powers and duties of the Department,

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which is charged under Florida law with administering Florida’s criminal laws
governing the purchase and sale of firearms. His official address is 2331 Phillips
Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. He is being sued in his official capacity.
FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
Florida’s Ban on Purchasing Firearms
11.

On March 9, 2018, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law

Senate Bill 7026.
12.

Senate Bill 7026 was enacted in the wake of a tragic school shooting

at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which was
believed to have been perpetrated by a 19-year-old, male former student of the
school.
13.

Senate Bill 7026, among other provisions, amends FLA. STAT. §

790.065 to add a new Subsection (13), which provides as follows:
A person younger than 21 years of age may not purchase a firearm.
The sale or transfer of a firearm to a person younger than 21 years of
age may not be made or facilitated by a licensed importer, licensed
manufacturer, or licensed dealer. A person who violates this
subsection commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as
provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. The prohibitions of
this subsection do not apply to the purchase of a rifle or shotgun by a
law enforcement officer or correctional officer, . . . or a
servicemember . . . .

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14.

An individual who purchases any firearm in violation of this ban is

subject to imprisonment for up to 5 years, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. FLA.
STAT. §§ 775.082, 775.083.
15.

Florida law independently limits access to firearms for individuals

who are considered unsafe, mentally unstable, or otherwise incapable of safely
operating a firearm. For instance, a firearm generally may not be purchased or
possessed, under Florida law, by (1) any individual who has ever been convicted of
a felony, id. § 790.023(1)(a); (2) anyone who is subject to an injunction against
committing acts of domestic violence, id. § 790.233; (3) minors under the age of
18, id. § 790.22(3); or (4) individuals who have been adjudicated mentally
defective or are committed to a mental institution, id. § 790.065(2)(a)(4).
16.

Independent provisions of federal law also already significantly

constrain the right of adult citizens under the age of 21 to purchase firearms. Under
18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(1), a federally licensed firearm dealer may not sell to any
individual under the age of 21 any handgun—the “quintessential self-defense
weapon” which is “the most popular weapon chosen by Americans for self-defense
in the home.” Heller, 554 U.S. at 629. Florida’s new ban broadens these
preexisting limits, by (1) extending the ban to rifles and shotguns, in addition to
handguns, and (2) prohibiting these law-abiding, adult citizens from purchasing
these firearms from any source, not just federally licensed dealers (i.e., those who

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are “engaged in the business of selling firearms at wholesale or retail.” 18 U.S.C. §
921(a)(11)).
17.

The effect of Florida’s age-based ban is to impose a significant,

unequal, and impermissible burden on the right to keep and bear arms of a class of
millions of law-abiding 18-to-20 year-old adult citizens.
The Impact of the Ban on Plaintiff
18.

The NRA has approximately 5 million members, many thousands of

which reside in Florida.
19.

The NRA’s members include law-abiding adult citizens between the

age of 18 and 21 who reside in Florida and who desire to purchase handguns, longguns, or both for self-defense and other lawful purposes.
20.

These members are both male and female, and, apart from their age,

they meet all other state or federal requirements for purchasing or possessing
firearms. These members are not law-enforcement or correctional officers or
servicemembers, within the meaning of FLA. STAT. § 790.065(13), and they are
therefore not exempt from Florida’s ban.
21.

But for Section 790.065(13)’s ban, some of these members would

purchase handguns, rifles, or shotguns for lawful purposes. But for Section
790.065(13)’s ban, some of these members would purchase handguns from a

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lawful source other than a federally licensed firearm dealer, such as a private seller
or a family member.
22.

Section 790.065(12)’s ban on firearm sales to adults within this age

bracket therefore infringes on the Second Amendment rights of these NRA
members. The NRA brings this action on behalf of these members.
COUNT 1
42 U.S.C. § 1983 Action for Violation of
U.S. C ONST . amends. II and XIV—Facial Challenge
23.

Plaintiff incorporates by reference the allegations of the preceding

paragraphs.
24.

The Second Amendment’s guarantee of “the right of the people to

keep and bear Arms” secures to law-abiding, responsible, adult citizens the
fundamental constitutional right to purchase and acquire firearms for the purpose
of self-defense in the home. U.S. CONST. amend. II.
25.

This Second Amendment right applies against the State of Florida

under U.S. CONST. amend. XIV.
26.

FLA. STAT. § 790.065(13) bans law-abiding, responsible, adult citizens

between the ages of 18 and 21 from purchasing any firearm from any source.
27.

This ban infringes upon, and imposes an impermissible burden upon,

the Second Amendment rights of the NRA Members described above, and it is
therefore facially unconstitutional, void, and invalid.
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COUNT 2
42 U.S.C. § 1983 Action for Violation of
U.S. C ONST . amends. II and XIV—As-Applied Challenge
28.

Plaintiff incorporates by reference the allegations of the preceding

paragraphs.
29.

The Second Amendment’s guarantee of “the right of the people to

keep and bear Arms” secures to law-abiding, responsible, adult citizens the
fundamental constitutional right to purchase and acquire firearms for the purpose
of self-defense in the home. U.S. CONST. amend. II.
30.

This Second Amendment right applies against the State of Florida

under U.S. CONST. amend. XIV.
31.

FLA. STAT. § 790.065(13) bans law-abiding, responsible, adult citizens

between the ages of 18 and 21 from purchasing any firearm from any source.
32.

This ban particularly infringes upon, and imposes an impermissible

burden upon, the Second Amendment rights of those NRA Members described
above who are female. Females between the ages of 18 and 21 pose a relatively
slight risk of perpetrating a school shooting such as the one that occurred at
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, or, for that matter, a violent crime of any
kind. For example, in 2015, women in this age group accounted for only 1.8% of
arrests for violent crime, while males in the same age bracket accounted for 8.7%
of such arrests—and males between the ages of 21 and 24, who may lawfully
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purchase firearms under current law, accounted for 9.2%. See Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Crime in the United States: 2015 tbls. 39 and 40, available at
https://goo.gl/8pVWnb; see also BUREAU

OF

JUSTICE STATISTICS, WOMEN

OFFENDERS at 2, 13 (2009) (female offenders responsible for only 14% of violent
crimes, and only 10% of female offenders aged 18-20), available at
https://goo.gl/3qAJXu. Regardless of its facial validity, Florida’s ban is therefore
unconstitutional, void, and invalid as applied to women between the ages of 18 and
21.
COUNT 3
42 U.S.C. § 1983 Action for Violation of Equal
Protection under U.S. C ONST . amend. XIV—Facial Challenge
33.

Plaintiff incorporates by reference the allegations of the preceding

paragraphs.
34.

The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees to all citizens the right to

equal protection of the laws.
35.

FLA. STAT. § 790.065(13) bans law-abiding adults between the ages of

18 and 21 from purchasing firearms, but does not ban the purchase of the same
firearms by law-abiding adults aged 21 and over.
36.

This ban violates the equal protection rights of those NRA Members

described above, and it is therefore facially unconstitutional, void, and invalid.
COUNT 4
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42 U.S.C. § 1983 Action for Violation of Equal
Protection under U.S. C ONST . amend. XIV—As-Applied Challenge
37.

Plaintiff incorporates by reference the allegations of the preceding

paragraphs.
38.

The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees to all citizens the right to

equal protection of the laws.
39.

The individual right to keep and bear arms is fundamental, and

discriminatory governmental classifications restricting the exercise of fundamental
rights must be subjected to heightened judicial scrutiny.
40.

FLA. STAT. § 790.065(13) bans law-abiding adults between the ages of

18 and 21 from purchasing firearms, but does not ban the purchase of the same
firearms by law-abiding adults aged 21 and over.
41.

This ban violates the equal protection rights of those NRA Members

described above who are female. Females between the ages of 18 and 21 pose a
relatively slight risk of perpetrating a school shooting such as the one that occurred
at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, or, for that matter, a violent crime of
any kind. For example, in 2015, women in this age group accounted for only 1.8%
of arrests for violent crime, while males in the same age bracket accounted for
8.7% of such arrests—and males between the ages of 21 and 24, who may lawfully
purchase firearms under current law, accounted for 9.2%. See Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Crime in the United States: 2015 tbls. 39 and 40, available at
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https://goo.gl/8pVWnb; see also BUREAU

OF

JUSTICE STATISTICS, WOMEN

OFFENDERS at 2, 13 (2009) (female offenders responsible for only 14% of violent
crimes, and only 10% of female offenders aged 18-20), available at
https://goo.gl/3qAJXu. Regardless of its facial validity, Florida’s ban is therefore
unconstitutional, void, and invalid as applied to women between the ages of 18 and
21 because it restricts their fundamental right to keep and bear arms without any
compelling justification.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
42.

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff prays for an order and judgment:
a.

Declaring that FLA. STAT. § 790.065(13) violates the Second

and Fourteenth Amendments and is thus devoid of any legal force or effect;
b.

Enjoining Defendants and their employees and agents from

enforcing FLA. STAT. § 790.065(13);
c.

Enjoining Defendants and their employees and agents from

applying FLA. STAT. § 790.065(13) so as to prohibit NRA Members between
the ages of 18 and 21 from purchasing firearms;
d.

Awarding Plaintiff its reasonable costs, including attorneys’

fees, incurred in bringing this action, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988; and
e.

Granting such other and further relief as this Court deems just

and proper.

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Dated: March 9, 2018

Respectfully submitted,

David H. Thompson*
John D. Ohlendorf*
Davis Cooper*
COOPER & KIRK, PLLC
1523 New Hampshire Avenue,
N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
[phone]
[phone] (fax)
[e-mail]

s/ Kenneth Sukhia
Kenneth Sukhia, Bar No. 266256
s/Vincent Locurto Bar No 0041040
SUKHIA & WILLIAMS LAW GROUP, PLLC
902 N. Gadsden Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32303
[phone]
[e-mail]

*Pro hac vice application
forthcoming
Attorneys for Plaintiff

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