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Federal judge’s order will allow Massachusetts gun shops to reopen

The judge said that the governor’s order infringed on residents’ Second Amendment rights and must be overturned, The Boston Globe reported.

The Boston federal courthouse
The federal courthouse in Boston. AP Photo/Stephan Savoia

By STEVE LeBLANC and MARK PRATT, Associated Press

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Gun shops in Massachusetts will be allowed to reopen, a federal judge said Thursday after a group of owners sued the governor over his decision to include them in non-essential businesses shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock said during a virtual hearing that the governor’s order infringed on residents’ Second Amendment rights and must be overturned, The Boston Globe reported.

“There is no justification here,” the judge said. “These plaintiffs . . . have constitutional rights that deserve respect and vindication. And it becomes necessary for a court to do that.”

The judge said he will impose restrictions on gun shops for when they do reopen, like requiring them to operate by appointment only.

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