United States v. Rahimi
THE INTERSECTION OF GUN VIOLENCE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
JWI heads a multi-faith amicus curiae brief, filed August 21, 2023, urging the Supreme Court to keep guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers. United States v. Rahimi will decide if current law, which prohibits the possession of firearms by persons subject to qualifying domestic-violence restraining orders, violates the Second Amendment on its face. The case will be heard on Nov. 7th.
For us, this issue is deeply personal as JWI’s mission to end violence against women is our response to the murder of one of our members who was shot and killed by her husband.
Other amicus briefs are being filed urging the Court to overturn the lower court’s decision – but JWI’s unique contribution is to share the experiences of victims and survivors who turned to faith leaders. In times of stress and trauma, people often turn to their clergy and communities. Faith leaders deeply understand the fear, threat, and lethality of abusers with guns.
This brief brings these voices and stories to the Court.
JWI is joined as amici curiae by our friends and colleagues representing multiple faiths, many of whom are part of our Interfaith Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Additional esteemed organizations such as the Archdiocese of Chicago Domestic Violence Outreach, Bishops United Against Gun Violence, rabbinical councils representing all three major Jewish denominations join as amici.
Amici also include JWI’s Jewish Gun Violence Prevention Roundtable, JWI’s Clergy Taskforce to End Domestic and Sexual Violence in the Jewish Community; and JWI’s National Coalition of Jewish Domestic Violence Programs.
We want to especially thank Kathleen St. Romain, Laura Israel Sinrod, Lucretia Bunzel, and Emilie Cooper of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson, who provided pro bono counsel to JWI and worked with JWI to draft the brief. As they wrote: “Despite theological differences, [the faith leaders] are united in their belief that these protections are critical to fortifying the safety of and support for victims, their children, their families, and their communities.”
The Supreme Court will hear this case during the October term. Fill out the form on this page if you would like JWI to update you as things unfold.
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