Chief Justice Mark Cady has overstepped his boundaries
The Iowa Firearms Coalition condemns the latest order from Chief Justice Mark Cady and the Iowa Supreme Court prohibiting weapons in all Iowa courthouses. The edict, prohibiting weapons in courtrooms, court-controlled spaces and public areas of courthouses is judicial overreach, plain and simple.
While the Iowa Supreme Court has jurisdiction over courtrooms and court-occupied spaces it has zero authority to dictate what happens in the public areas and offices outside of Iowa’s courtrooms.
By Chief Justice Cady and the Iowa Supreme Court’s own admission it is the responsibility of local governments to maintain Iowa’s courthouses and justice centers. It is common practice in communities across the state to house non-court related offices in the same building as the local court. County auditors offices, assessors offices, county supervisor’s chambers and more are all commonly found within the confines of the local courthouse. The justices of the Iowa Supreme Court are clearly overstepping their boundaries by declaring that qualified, law-abiding citizens cannot possess weapons these public, non-court related areas.
For Chief Justice Cady and company to declare these public, non-court controlled areas as weapons free zones is not only tantamount to legislating from the bench, it also places the local governments charged with maintaining these areas in a clear violation of Section 724.28 of the the Iowa legal code which prohibits local governments from preempting state firearms law.
By issuing orders and edicts such as the supervisory order issued this week Chief Justice Mark Cady and the rest of the Iowa Supreme Court are overstepping the judicial branch’s authority and infringing on the duties of Iowa’s legislative branch of government. .
The Iowa Firearms Coalition’s opposition to Chief Justice Cady and the Iowa Supreme Court’s edict is about more than just defending Iowans’ Second Amendment rights. It’s about keeping judicial overreach in check, keeping judicial activism out of Iowa and keeping judges from legislating from the bench.
The Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC) is a grassroots Second Amendment advocacy group. Responsible for bringing uniformity to Iowa’s Permit to Carry process in 2010, legalizing suppressors in 2016 and passing the largest pro-Second Amendment bill in Iowa history in 2017. IFC’s members work to protect and enhance the Second Amendment rights of all Iowans. An affiliate of the National Rifle Association, the IFC actively seeks to foster and promote citizen's right to keep and bear arms. Sign up for our email list for the latest on Second Amendment issues in Iowa. You can support our work by becoming a member, or making a donation.
