Justice Department threatens to sue Maryland county over synagogue gun ban
The U.S. Department of Justice told Montgomery County, Md., that it will sue if the county enforces a new ordinance that would bar volunteers and congregants from carrying firearms in or near synagogues.
The demand comes the same day that the Silver Spring Jewish Center, an Orthodox synagogue, sued the county, asking the court to block the ordinance.
“It’s great to see the Justice Department standing up for constitutional rights,” Jacob Huebert, an attorney for the synagogue, told JNS. “We’ll be happy to fight alongside them to end Montgomery County’s indefensible disarmament of religious people.”
R. Jonah Geissler, deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, sent a letter on Thursday to Marc Elrich, the county executive who signed the ordinance on Monday, and to the county attorney, police chief and sheriff.
“History teaches us that houses of worship are vulnerable to armed attacks and congregants are particularly in need of the ability to defend themselves,” the letter states. “By disarming religious congregants during worship, Montgomery County infringes on such congregants’ ability to defend against such attacks.”
Geissler wrote that if the recipients do not confirm in writing by noon on Friday that they will not enforce the ordinance in places of worship, “we will file a lawsuit without further notice.”
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The U.S. Justice Department has threatened to sue Montgomery County, Maryland, if it enforces a new ordinance prohibiting volunteers and congregants from carrying firearms in or near synagogues. This threat was issued on the same day the Silver Spring Jewish Center, an Orthodox synagogue, filed its own lawsuit to block the ordinance. The Justice Department, in a letter to County Executive Marc Elrich and other officials, stated, "History teaches us that houses of worship are vulnerable to armed attacks and congregants are particularly in need of the ability to defend themselves." The department argues that disarming congregants infringes on their ability to defend against such attacks and has given the county until Friday noon to confirm in writing that the ordinance will not be enforced in places of worship, or a lawsuit will be filed.
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