In a courtroom showdown that felt more like a LibertyCon keynote than a federal hearing, pro-2A attorneys absolutely dismantled New Jersey’s gun-grab defenses during the Third Circuit’s en banc review of the Koons and Siegel cases. Picture this: Daniel Schmutter, the pitbull litigator who’s been shredding state overreach for years, tag-teamed with Joshua Prince to eviscerate the Garden State’s sensitive places bans and arbitrary carry restrictions. While New Jersey’s lawyers stumbled through reheated Bruen dodges—clinging to historical analogues that were about as relevant as a musket in a drone war—the pro-liberty side delivered surgical arguments rooted in the Supreme Court’s landmark framework. Videos of the hearing show judges peppering state counsel with tough questions they couldn’t answer, while Schmutter’s crew methodically exposed how NJ’s laws flunk the text, history, and tradition test. It’s the kind of dominance that leaves you grinning ear-to-ear.
Context matters here, and it’s electric for the 2A community. These cases stem from post-Bruen panic laws in New Jersey, where the state bloated its sensitive place list to absurd levels—think parks, zoos, and even pharmacies—effectively turning public carry into a unicorn hunt. Koons challenges the outright carry bans, while Siegel targets the patchwork prohibitions that make concealed carry a bureaucratic nightmare. The Third Circuit going en banc signals the panel’s original pro-gun ruling was too hot to handle without the full court, and the attorneys’ masterclass performance hints at a brewing circuit split ripe for SCOTUS pickup. New Jersey’s flat-footed responses? A textbook case of states doubling down on defiance, ignoring Rahimi’s nuances while Bruen’s ghost looms large.
The implications are massive: a win here could gut similar schemes in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and beyond, forcing blue-state tyrants to actually find history on their side (spoiler: they won’t). For gun owners, it’s a rallying cry—keep funding these warriors via groups like FPC and SAF, because this momentum is turning the post-Bruen tide. If the Third Circuit affirms, expect fireworks; even a punt to SCOTUS hands us another Rahimi-level victory lap. Stay locked in, patriots—this is how we reclaim our rights, one eviscerated argument at a time.
