Federal Judge Strikes Down New Mexico's Seven-Day Gun Purchase Wait

In a Thursday decision, U.S. District Judge James O. Browning ruled that New Mexico's seven-day waiting period for firearm purchases is unconstitutional, granting relief to residents Paul Ortega and Rebecca Scott. The case, Ortega v. Grisham, was supported by the National Rifle Association, which argued that the delay after a clear background check violates the Second Amendment. State officials, including Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, had maintained that the waiting period did not breach constitutional protections, emphasizing the right to keep and bear arms rather than an immediate purchase right.

The judge rejected that reasoning, allowing the plaintiffs to obtain guns without the imposed wait. Governor Grisham indicated an intention to challenge the ruling on appeal. NRA-ILA attorney John Commerford praised the judgment, saying that forcing law-abiding citizens to wait undermines their rights.