Maloney v. Singas
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff James M. Maloney, a pro se attorney and amateur martial artist, brings this action against Defendant Madeline Singas, in her capacity as the Nassau County District Attorney, seeking a declaration that New York State's 1974 ban on the possession of chuka sticks,
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
I. Initial Proceedings
Plaintiff filed his initial complaint in this action on February 18, 2003 (Dkt. 1) and First Amended Complaint on September 3, 2005 (Dkt. 42). The Honorable Arthur D. Spatt dismissed the First Amended Complaint in 2007, Maloney v. Cuomo ,
*226II. Second Amended Complaint
Plaintiff filed the Second Amended Complaint, the operative complaint in this action, on October 22, 2010. (Dkt. 116.) On April 23, 2013, this action was transferred from Judge Spatt to this Court. (04/23/13 docket entry.) Following the completion of discovery, both parties moved for summary judgment. (Dkts. 139, 140.) On May 22, 2015, the Court dismissed two of Plaintiff's three constitutional claims, leaving only the instant Second Amendment challenge to proceed to trial. Maloney v. Singas ,
III. Bench Trial in 2017 and 2018
The Court held a bench trial from January 9 to 12, 2017. (Dkts. 180, 181, 182.) At trial, Plaintiff presented the following evidence: (1) Plaintiff's own testimony about his history of nunchaku use; (2) testimony of retired Sergeant Kevin Orcutt of the Denver Police Department about his patented nunchaku, the Orcutt Police Nunchaku ("OPN"), which is used exclusively by law enforcement agencies; (3) purported expert testimony of a martial arts school ("dojo") operator, Christopher Pellitteri; (4) testimony of Susan Saraceni, Chief Financial Officer of Asian World of Martial Arts ("AWMA"), a martial arts weapons distributor, discussing AWMA's sales data; and (5) exhibits documenting various forms of martial arts practice that incorporate the use of nunchaku and AWMA's sales data for nunchaku. At trial, Defendant presented: (1) the testimony of Catherine Rice, an employee of the Nassau County Internet Technology Department, who testified about Nassau County's nunchaku crime statistics, and (2) exhibits documenting the legislative history of New York Penal Law § 265.01(1) and Federal Bureau of Justice statistics on weapons used in crimes.
Following the trial, the parties submitted Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 52. (Dkts. 184 (Plaintiff), 185 (Defendant).) However, after reviewing the trial record and the parties' post-trial submissions, the Court determined that both parties had neglected to consider the Second Circuit's leading case on Second Amendment challenges, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Cuomo ("NYSRPA "),
On July 23, 2017, the Court issued an order notifying the parties that because of their oversight regarding NYSRPA , they had litigated the case at the bench trial using the wrong burden of persuasion. (Dkt. 188.) The Court also admonished the parties for not addressing the level of constitutional scrutiny to be applied to Plaintiff's claim in their post-trial briefing. (Id. at 4, 6-7.) The Court re-opened the trial to allow the parties to conduct additional discovery and to supplement the evidentiary record at trial to address these errors. (Dkts. 188, 191, 192, 193.) In the end, the parties chose to stipulate to the admission of additional documentary evidence offered by each side and to supplement the trial record solely with paper exhibits and argument, and no additional live testimony. (Dkts. 195, 196, 199, 202, 203, 204, 206.) Plaintiff's lone additional exhibit was a video of a Subaru commercial in which a child *227is shown with nunchaku in his backpack. (Dkt. 203.)
On October 1, 2018, after receiving the parties' supplemental trial submissions, the Court sua sponte amended its July 23, 2017 order to further clarify the applicable burden of persuasion. Maloney v. Singas , No. 03-CV-786 (PKC)(AYS),
FINDINGS OF FACT
I. The Parties
James M. Maloney, appearing pro se , is a solo legal practitioner, an adjunct professor at the State University of Maritime College, and an amateur martial artist. (Trial Transcript ("Tr."), at 11:13-16, 35:14-36:14.)
Madeline Singas, who is being sued in her official capacity, is the current Nassau County District Attorney. See Nassau County District Attorney, Meet the District Attorney , http://www.nassauda.org/9/Meet-the-District-Attorney (last visited December 14, 2018).
II. The Nunchaku Ban: New York Penal Law § 265.01(1)
Since 1974, New York has had a complete ban on the possession of nunchaku by private citizens. (Dkt. 184, at 2; see generally Dkt. 199-1.) New York Penal Law § 265.01(1) (" Section 265.01(1)") criminalizes possession of nunchaku, along with a host of other banned weapons, as a Class A misdemeanor. "A person is guilty of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree when: (1) [h]e or she possesses any firearm, electronic dart gun, electronic stun gun, gravity knife, switchblade *228knife, pilum ballistic knife, metal knuckle knife, cane sword, billy, blackjack, bludgeon, plastic knuckles, metal knuckles, chuka stick , sand bag, sandclub, wrist-brace type slingshot or slungshot, shirken or 'Kung Fu star.' "
III. Nunchaku Usage
A. The Purpose of Nunchaku
It is undisputed that the nunchaku is a "martial arts instrument" used recreationally in martial arts training, practice, and performance.
B. Data Regarding the Prevalence of Nunchaku
At trial, the parties collectively submitted nunchaku sales data from six American nunchaku distributors: (1) American Nunchaku Company; (2) KarateDepot.com, *229a.k.a. Zengu; (3) Macho Products; (4) Swords Knives and Daggers; (5) Martial Arts Mart, a.k.a. Tigerclaw.com; and (6) AWMA. (Dkt. 199-9; Pl.'s Exhs. I & J.
In addition to data about nunchaku sales, Defendant also presented statistics *230regarding nunchaku-related crime in Nassau County. Between December 14, 2014 and January 11, 2017, there were five prosecutions in Nassau County involving nunchaku: two cases of assault and three cases of possession. (Tr. 373:1-12, 375:11-376:7 (Testimony of Catherine Rice).)
CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
Plaintiff alleges in his Second Amended Complaint that New York Penal Law § 265.01(1)"infringe[s] upon [his] rights as conferred by the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States" to the extent it "criminalize[s] the simple possession of nunchaku within one's home for martial-arts practice and/or home defense," and should be "declare[d] ... unconstitutional and of no force and effect." (Dkt. 116, at ¶ 51 (First Cause of Action) & Wherefore Clause, at ¶ 2.)
I. Plaintiff's Claim for Declaratory Relief and the Court's Limited Authority
As an initial matter, the Court clarifies the scope of Plaintiff's claim for declaratory relief in terms of the remedy he is seeking and can obtain in this action. Despite the above-quoted language from the Second Amended Complaint, Plaintiff has, at times, suggested that he does not seek to have New York's nunchaku ban struck down in its entirety, but rather, seeks to have Section 265.01(1) declared unconstitutional only as applied to home possession and use of nunchaku. (See, e.g. , Dkt. 212, at 4 (stating "the challenge is solely to the ban as applied to simple in-home possession");
*231Tr. 66:21-67:22 (Plaintiff explaining that he is seeking a declaration that, under the Second Amendment, he should be allowed to use nunchaku in his home for "[his] personal use, for home defense purposes, ... [a]nd for any other lawful use that they may have").) However, while Plaintiff is clear about the relief he wants, i.e., to be able to legally use nunchaku in his home, he fails to appreciate that the Court lacks the authority to rewrite Section 265.01(1).
While courts, under some circumstances, might be able to reform a statute to make it constitutional by "sever[ing] its problematic portions while leaving the remainder intact," that is not possible here given how Section 265.01(1) is constructed. Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of N. New England ,
Plaintiff's reliance on "the seven principles of constitutional construction and adjudication" set forth in Justice Brandeis's concurrence in Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority ,
(3) The Court will not formulate a rule of constitutional law broader than is required by the precise facts to which it is to be applied.
...
(7) When the validity of an act of the Congress is drawn into question, and even if a serious doubt of constitutionality is raised, it is a cardinal principle that this Court will first ascertain whether a construction of the statute is fairly possible by which the question may be avoided.
(
*232Ashwander ,
Thus, the Court declines to adopt Plaintiff's suggestion of constitutional overreach,
II. Legal Standards for Second Amendment Challenges
There is a rebuttable presumption that " 'the Second Amendment extends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute bearable arms,' not just to a small subset." NYSRPA ,
The determination of whether the challenged restriction implicates the Second Amendment, in turn, involves a two-part standard. "The Second Amendment protects only the 'sorts of weapons' that are (1) 'in common use' and (2) 'typically *233possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.' " Id. at 254-55 (quoting Heller ,
Here, "the parties do not dispute that nunchakus constitute a 'bearable arm' " (Dkt. 188, at 4),
A. Typical Use of Nunchaku
The next step, under NYSRPA , is that the Court must determine whether the nunchaku ban impinges upon conduct protected by the Second Amendment, i.e., whether Defendant has proved, by clear and convincing evidence, that nunchakus are not typically possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes. Admittedly, *235there is no defined analytical standard for what constitutes "typical possession by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes." See NYSRPA ,
Considering the scant evidence presented, the Court finds that Defendant has not met her burden to exclude nunchaku from the ambit of Second Amendment protection. Simply put, Defendant does not contradict the contention that the nunchaku's primary use, which Defendant concedes is as "a tool from the sphere of martial arts" (Dkt. 199, at 10), is a lawful one. To the extent any evidence was offered at trial regarding the "subjective motives of [nunchaku] owners," the Court has considered the testimony of Plaintiff himself, Pelletteri, and Orcutt as further support for the conclusion that the typical possession of nunchaku in this country is for recreational and other lawful purposes.
Furthermore, although the criminality associated with a weapon is not the only relevant inquiry, NYSRPA ,
The Court rejects Defendant's argument that the Court's "typical use" analysis should be limited to whether the nunchaku is typically used for home self-defense-and should not consider the nunchaku's use in martial arts-because Plaintiff's request for relief is limited to this use. (Dkt. 199, at 7-8; Dkt. 213, at 2.) Defendant cites no caselaw to support such a limited understanding of "typical use." See Friedman,
The Court also rejects Defendant's argument that the nunchaku ban should be upheld because "the dangerous potential of nunchucks is almost universally recognized." (Dkt. 185, at 25-26; see also id. at 21-22 (collecting cases); Dkt. 199, at 8-10.) "If Heller tells us anything, it is that [weapons] cannot be categorically prohibited just because they are dangerous," since the "relative dangerousness of a weapon is irrelevant when the weapon belongs to a class of arms commonly used for lawful purposes." Caetano ,
*237Therefore, because Defendant has failed to demonstrate, by clear and convincing evidence, or even by a preponderance, that nunchakus are not typically used by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes, she has failed to rebut the presumption that the possession and use of nunchaku is within the scope of the Second Amendment's protections.
B. Nunchaku Being "In Common Use"
Although the Court has concluded that, under the standard established in Heller , a bearable arm is entitled to Second Amendment protection where the government fails to show that the weapon's typical use is not a lawful one, out of an abundance of caution, the Court also finds that Defendant has failed to show, by clear and convincing evidence,
Thus, even assuming that Defendant need only prove that nunchakus are not in common use to exempt them from Second Amendment coverage, she has failed to do so.
* * *
Accordingly, the Court concludes that the possession and use of nunchaku is protected by the Second Amendment.
IV. Constitutional Scrutiny
Having concluded that Section 265.01(1), as applied to nunchaku, impinges upon Plaintiff's Second Amendment rights, the Court must next determine and apply the appropriate level of scrutiny.
The test for determining the proper level of constitutional scrutiny with respect to a Second Amendment challenge has two factors: "(1) how close the law comes to the core of the Second Amendment right and (2) the severity of the law's burden on the right." NYSRPA ,
*239than for militia service). The Court, therefore, finds that at least intermediate scrutiny applies to Section 265.01(1)'s ban on nunchaku.
"Though 'intermediate scrutiny' may have different connotations in different contexts, here the key question is whether the statute[ ] at issue [is] 'substantially related to the achievement of an important governmental interest.' " NYSRPA ,
Accordingly, the Court finds that Section 265.01(1), as applied to nunchaku, does *240not survive intermediate scrutiny and must be invalidated as unconstitutional. However, this ruling merely reflects Defendant's failure to present sufficient evidence and argument to support Section 265.01(1)'s constitutionality as applied to nunchaku and "do[es] not foreclose the possibility that [the government] could in the future present evidence to support such a prohibition[ ]," or some lesser restriction, on the possession and/or use of nunchaku in New York. NYSRPA ,
V. Additional Relief
In light of the Court's finding that Section 265.01(1) as applied to nunchaku is unconstitutional, the Court also invalidates the portions of
1. Any person who manufactures or causes to be manufactured any machine-gun, assault weapon, large capacity ammunition feeding device or disguised gun is guilty of a class D felony. Any person who manufactures or causes to be manufactured any switchblade knife, gravity knife, pilum ballistic knife, metal knuckle knife, billy, blackjack, bludgeon, plastic knuckles, metal knuckles, Kung Fu star, chuka stick , sandbag, sandclub or slungshot is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
2. Any person who transports or ships any machine-gun, firearm silencer, assault weapon or large capacity ammunition feeding device or disguised gun, or who transports or ships as merchandise five or more firearms, is guilty of a class D felony. Any person who transports or ships as merchandise any firearm, other than an assault weapon, switchblade knife, gravity knife, pilum ballistic knife, billy, blackjack, bludgeon, plastic knuckles, metal knuckles, Kung Fu star, chuka stick , sandbag or slungshot is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
...
4. Any person who disposes of any of the weapons, instruments or appliances specified in subdivision one of section 265.01, except a firearm, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor, and he is guilty of a class D felony if he has previously been convicted of any crime.
To leave these subsections intact, would render the Court's Order meaningless and without effect, because the combination of these prohibitions would prevent anyone from lawfully possessing nunchaku in New York State unless they already (illegally) possess them now. Ezell ,
Therefore, the Court declares that the portions of Section 265.10(1), (2), & (4) that apply to nunchaku are void as violative of the Second Amendment.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons stated herein, the Court grants judgment in favor of Plaintiff, declaring that New York Penal Laws § 265.01(1) and § 265.10(1), (2), & (4), as applied to nunchaku, are an unconstitutional restriction on the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment and are, therefore, void. The Clerk of Court is respectfully requested to enter judgment and close this case accordingly.
SO ORDERED.
APPENDIX
1. Courthouse Records: Worcester Central District Court , Telegram.com (Sept. 26, 2018), https://www.telegram.com/news/20180926/courthouse-records.
2. Mark D. Wilson, Man Used Nunchucks in Street Attack in Downtown Austin, Police Say , Statesman (Sept. 26, 2018), https://www.statesman.com/news/20180906/man-used-nunchucks-in-street-attack-in-downtown-austin-police-say.
3. Maura Grunlund, Man Recounts Scary Battle with Nunchucks-Slinging Ninja Burglar , SILive.com (Sept. 17, 2018), https://www.silive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/09/d44987c24d9566/from-straw-hats-to-dresses-dis.html.
4. Jeff Bonty, Man Charged with Attempted Kidnapping of Child , Daily Journal (Sept. 1, 2018), https://www.daily-journal.com/news/crime/man-charged-with-attempted-kidnapping-of-child/article_f287aef0-ad53-11e8-a088-436c975df517.html.
5. Three Charged with Aggravated Assault , MRT (Aug. 7, 2018), https://www.mrt.com/news/crime/article/Three-charged-with-aggravated-assault-13139270.php.
*2426. Leroy Polk, Torture and Terror in a Fairbanks Hotel Ends in Arrest , KTUU-TV (Jul. 18, 2018), https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Torture-and-terror-in-a-Fairbanks-hotel-ends-in-arrest-488543961.html.
7. Man Charged with Making Nunchaku Threats, Home Invasion Arraigned , WAND17 (Jul. 12, 2018), https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Torture-and-terror-in-a-Fairbanks-hotel-ends-in-arrest-488543961.html.
8. Elizabeth O'Gorek, Police Investigate Nunchucks Assault in Northeast , HillRag (June 15, 2018), http://hillrag.com/2018/06/15/police-investigate-assault-with-nunchucks/.
9. Saphara Harrell, Police Log: Husband Attacked Caller with Nunchucks , The News-Review (May 22, 2018), https://www.nrtoday.com/news/police_logs/police-log-husband-attacked-caller-with-nunchucks/article_053b60e9-d8f5-5051-8fe0-d01835f7914b.html.
10. Nancy Bowman, Piqua Man Pleads in Nunchucks Attack, Standoff with Police , Dayton Daily News (May 22, 2018), https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/piqua-man-pleads-nunchucks-attack-standoff-with-police/m7fNu18ZyGzR4AerGQYZLM/.
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13. WKYT News Staff, Police: Pulaski Co. Man Impersonated Officer, Used Nunchucks to Threaten Teen , WKYT (Mar. 28, 2018), https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Police-Pulaski-Co-man-impersonated-officer-used-nunchucks-to-threaten-teen-478189803.html.
14. Craig Shoup, 5th Grader Reportedly Threatened to Kill Teacher, Students , Fremont News Messenger (Mar. 19, 2018), https://www.thenewsmessenger.com/story/news/crime/2018/03/19/bellevue-5th-grader-kill-list-threatened-teacher/437405002/.
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16. Amanda Cochran, Knife v. Nunchucks: Baytown Man Stabbed in Fight Over Woman, Police Say , Click2Houston (Feb. 25, 2018), https://www.click2houston.com/news/knife-vs-nunchucks-baytown-man-stabbed-in-fight-over-woman-police-say.
17. Douglas Fritz, Concord Student Armed with Nunchakus Accused of Threatening Neighbor , WVNS-TV (Feb. 9, 2018), https://www.wvnstv.com/local-news/mercer-county/concord-student-armed-with-nunchakus-accused-of-threatening-neighbor/963488635.
*24318. Emily Bohatch, 65-Year-Old Man Used Nunchucks to Hit His Neighbor, St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office Says , TC Palm (Jan. 17, 2018), https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/crime/st-lucie-county/2018/01/17/nunchucks-involved-before-arrest-daniel-larmon-aggravated-battery-st-lucie-county/1040419001/.
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23. Salisbury Man Pulls Out a Set of Nunchucks on Sheriff's Deputy at Butler's Bar , Southern Maryland News Net (Apr. 30, 2017), https://smnewsnet.com/archives/418556/salisbury-man-pulls-out-a-set-of-nunchucks-on-sheriffs-deputy-at-butlers-bar/.
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25. Ryan DiPentima, Florida Man Threatens Roommate with Nunchucks , The Palm Beach Post (Mar. 28, 2017), https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime--law/new-florida-man-threatens-roommate-with-nunchucks/TigOkw7hQbb1Ep6HsAqcnM/.
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28. Dillon Kato, Missoula Man Awaiting Sentencing for Threats at Church Accused of Nunchuck Attack , Missoulian (Jan. 20, 2016), https://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-man-awaiting-sentencing-for-threats-at-church-accused-of/article_343c44c6-15a0-512e-ad65-c1521fd39c8b.html.
*24429. Teddy Kulmala, Police: Rock Hill Woman Assaulted Husband with Nunchucks , The Charlotte Observer (Jan. 20, 2016), https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article55584565.html.
30. Kay Fate, Three Adults, Three Juveniles in Custody for Austin Fight , Post Bulletin (Oct. 1, 2015), https://www.postbulletin.com/news/crime/three-adults-three-juveniles-in-custody-for-austin-fight/article_863016e9-c49b-5c36-bb5b-b738397e7123.html.
31. Paul Daquilante, Nunchuck Attacker Said He Wanted to Kill His Mother , Yamhill Valley News Register (Sept. 20, 2015), https://newsregister.com/article?articleTitle=nunchuck-attacker-said-he-wanted-to-kill-his-mother--1442746504--19416--.
32. Levi Pulkkinen, Charges: Shampoo Thief Beat Grocery Workers with Nunchuks , Seattle Post-Intelligencer (May 26, 2015), https://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Charges-Shampoo-thief-beat-grocery-workers-with-6286948.php.
33. Penny Ray, Police Arrest Man Who Used Nunchucks During Trenton Street Fight , The Trentonian (May 26, 2015), https://www.trentonian.com/news/police-arrest-man-who-used-nunchucks-during-trenton-street-fight/article_77eff243-a683-50e2-a357-20e54cc39989.html.
34. Andrew Dys, Police: Caretaker Killed Elderly York County 'Mercy Killer' with Nunchucks , The Charlotte Observer (May 14, 2015), https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article21000753.html.
35. David Harding, Man Uses Nunchucks to Threaten, Attack Japanese Restaurant Worker in Florida After Not Paying His Bill , New York Daily News (Apr. 18, 2015), http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/fla-man-threatens-attacks-restaurant-worker-nunchucks-article-1.2189941.
36. Lynsi Burton, Police: Woman Uses Nunchucks to Attack Friend in Greenwood , Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Oct. 4, 2014), https://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/2014/10/08/woman-attacks-friend-with-nunchucks-in-greenwood/.
37. Police: Man with Nunchucks is No Ninja, Gets Tackled By Victim , Montana Standard (Apr. 11, 2014), https://mtstandard.com/news/local/police-man-with-nunchucks-is-no-ninja-gets-tackled-by/article_e78adea2-c1a6-11e3-8902-0019bb2963f4.html.
38. Rick Bruni Jr., Nunchaku Attack Lands Georgia Man in Jail , Trib Live (Feb. 26, 2014), https://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourmonvalley/yourmonvalleymore/5662182-74/burgess-police-gudel.
39. OKC Woman Accused of Nunchuck Attack . News on 6 (Dec. 2, 2013), http://www.newson6.com/story/24113520/okc-woman-accused-of-nunchuck-attack.
40. Michael Harthorne, Police: Would-Be Ninja Arrested for Flailing 'Nunchucks' at Woman , KomoNews (Apr. 24, 2013), https://komonews.com/archive/police-would-be-ninja-arrested-for-flailing-nunchucks-at-woman-11-22-2015.
*24541. Subway Muggers Beat Victim with Nunchucks After Demanding His Jacket , NBC New York (Jan. 31, 2013), https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Subway-Nunchuck-Beating-Robbery-Jacket-157th-Street-189222491.html.
42. Michael Walsh, Maine Woman Uses Nunchucks on Ex-Boyfriend Who Allegedly Attacked Her , New York Daily News (Oct. 11, 2012), http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/maine-woman-nunchucks-ex-boyfriend-allegedly-attacked-article-1.1181156.
43. Buck Sexton, Colorado Man Charged with Assault After Using Nunchucks in 'Self-Defense,' The Blaze (Nov. 1, 2011), https://www.theblaze.com/news/2011/11/01/colorado-man-charged-with-assault-after-using-nunchucks-in-self-defense.
44. Tim Newcomb, Inmate Escapes St. Louis Jail Using Makeshift Nunchucks , Time (Sept. 21, 2011), http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/09/21/inmate-escapes-st-louis-jail-using-makeshift-nunchucks/.
45. James Cannon, Man Allegedly Assaults Sonic Employees with 'Nunchucks,' MRT (Aug. 30, 2011), https://www.mrt.com/news/crime/article/Man-allegedly-assaults-Sonic-employees-with-7445872.php.
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54. Martial Arts Weapon Reportedly Used by Two Rapists , Boston Globe (Aug. 1, 1983), at 1.
55. Kitty Dumas, Ten Arrested, One Hurt in Arlington Fight , The *246Washington Post (July 19, 1983), at B5.
56. Ron Davis, Robbers Use "Kung Fu" Weapon , The Washington Post (Aug. 15, 1976), at B1.
" 'Chuka stick' means any device designed primarily as a weapon, consisting of two or more lengths of a rigid material joined together by a thong, rope or chain in such a manner as to allow free movement of a portion of the device while held in the hand and capable of being rotated in such a manner as to inflict serious injury upon a person by striking or choking. These devices are also known as nunchakus and centrifugal force sticks."
2017 Subaru Outback Commercial, Take the Subaru , YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHYZtPA2Tss (last visited December 14, 2018).
In its earlier order, on July 23, 2017, the Court had stated that, pursuant to NYSRPA , Defendant was required to put forth evidence rebutting "the presumption in favor of Second Amendment protection, ... i.e., evidence that nunchakus are either not 'in common use' or not 'typically possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.' " (Dkt. 188, at 7 (emphasis in original).)
The transcript of the January 9 to 12, 2017 bench trial can be found in Dockets 180, 181, and 182.
According to Plaintiff, Shafan Ha Lavan is Hebrew for "White Rabbit." (Tr. 72:12-73:2.)
Citations to "ECF" refer to the pagination generated by the Court's CM/ECF docketing system and not the document's internal pagination.
(See also Dkt. 199-1, at ECF 11 (letter from New York State Assemblyman Richard C. Ross, dated April 2, 1974, recommending approval of the nunchaku ban because "[w]ith a minimum amount of practice it may be effectively used as a garrote, bludgeon, thrusting or striking device. The chukka stick is designed primarily as a weapon and has no purpose other than to maim, or, in some instances, kill.") ); Paul L. Montgomery, How a Radical-Left Group Moved Toward Savagery , The New York Times (Jan. 20, 1974), https://nyti.ms/2zX5c0h (discussing the "militants of a Marxist group called the National Caucus of Labor Committees" and how the "Committee youths assigned to 'security' sit at the door twirling nunchaku sticks"); (but see Dkt. 199-1, at ECF 9 (letter dated April 4, 1974 from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice refusing to endorse the ban because nunchaku "are also used in karate and other 'martial arts' training" and "it appears unreasonable-and perhaps even unconstitutional-to prohibit those who have a legitimate reason for possessing chukka sticks from doing so").)
Defendant conceded this fact at Oral Argument as well.
Exhibits I and J are subject to a protective order and, therefore, have not been filed on the public docket. (Dkt. 203.)
The Court only includes retail, not wholesale, sales for purposes of its Second Amendment analysis. See Caetano v. Massachusetts , --- U.S. ----,
The Court also does not include the sales data for the OPN because these nunchakus are used exclusively by law enforcement (Tr. 173:9-11, 174:4-176:24), and the Second Amendment is only concerned with weapons "typically possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes," Heller,
None of the distributors reported sales data for the years 1974 to 1994.
The Court does not give any weight to the estimates of nunchaku sales testified to by Plaintiff's expert, Christopher Pellitteri, at trial. Pellitteri, a long-time martial arts instructor, estimated that 5,165 martial arts schools teach nunchaku. (Tr. 245:1-4.) To arrive at this number, Pellitteri determined that there are 18,233 dojos in the United States based on a list on a website (https://dojos.info/usa/) and then "conservative[ly] estimate[d]," based on "his personal experience and [his] knowledge of other karate schools that teach martial arts," that 28.3% of those dojos teach nunchaku. (Tr. 241:19-243:3, 243:11-16, 244:4-11, 245:1-4, 282:25-283:2 (stating that 33% of all dojos teach weapons, and 85% of those dojos teach nunchaku).) This testimony is speculative and does not meet the requirements for admission under Federal Rule of Evidence 702. Under Rule 702, it is the role of the trial judge to "ensure that any and all scientific testimony or evidence admitted is not only relevant, but reliable."Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharm., Inc. ,
Defendant complained in her November 12, 2018 supplemental submission that the Court's October 1, 2018 Order-issued after the parties had supplemented the trial record and clarifying that Defendant had to show that the common use of nunchaku is an unlawful one-"place[d] Defendant in an untenable position because there is no question that nunchaku are martial arts weapons." (Dkt. 213, at 2.) However, any suggestion that Defendant was prejudiced by this clarification, even if belated, is belied by the fact that Defendant has never indicated that there was any other evidence she could, or would, have introduced on the issue of how nunchakus are commonly used, nor did she seek to reopen the trial record for that purpose after the October 1, 2018 Order. Indeed, at Oral Argument, when asked this question, she responded that there is a dearth of data about nunchaku crime and implied that she would be unable to secure any additional statistical evidence. Furthermore, it is not the Court's responsibility to decide how a party should litigate its case. Given the ambiguity in this area of the law, Defendant should have anticipated that she might have to, and certainly should, endeavor to prove both prongs of the test regarding Second Amendment coverage. See NYSRPA ,
The Court also notes that although Defendant cited four newspaper articles about nunchaku crime in her opposition to Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment, she did not offer that evidence at trial. (Dkt. 140, at 5 (citing four articles from 1983 to 2007).)
To the extent that Plaintiff contended at Oral Argument that NYSRPA supports this Court's re-writing of a statute to make it constitutional, he is incorrect. In NYSRPA , the Second Circuit merely struck down a portion of the statute it found to be unconstitutional, which is no different than what the Court is doing here. So, although NYSRPA supports the result in this case, it is not for the reason that Plaintiff argues.
The Court also notes that Defendant certainly is not prejudiced by this approach, given that she herself has assumed throughout the litigation that this is the remedy Plaintiff is seeking. (Dkt. 199, at 2 (Defendant stating that the relief sought by Plaintiff is "a declaratory judgment that New York Penal Law § 265.01 is unconstitutional pursuant to the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution to the extent that it prohibits the in-home possession of 'nunchucks' or 'nunchaku' ").)
As discussed supra , although the Court initially interpreted the government as having to prove only that nunchaku either were not "in common use" or were not "commonly used for a lawful purpose" (Dkt. 188, at 7), in its October 1, 2018 Order the Court sought to clarify the "opaque and contradictory" caselaw interpreting the "common use" and "typical possession" elements identified in Heller, Maloney ,
Defendant asks that the Court consider a third factor, i.e., public policy considerations, in assessing whether nunchakus are covered by the Second Amendment. (Dkt. 199, at 10-11.) The Court declines to do so. Although it is difficult to discern exactly what Defendant is arguing, it appears to contend that without the nunchaku ban, non-law-abiding citizens would be able to get nunchaku without restriction or any registration requirement. (Id. ) However, this is not a proper consideration for the Court in deciding the constitutionality of Section 265.01(1) as applied to nunchaku. Heller does not permit this Court to subject the Second Amendment's "core protection ... to a freestanding 'interest-balancing' approach."
The parties have not identified an evidentiary standard for evaluating a Second Amendment challenge; therefore, the Court assumes the "clear and convincing" standard applies. See Herman & MacLean v. Huddleston ,
Although Defendant previously conceded that the nunchaku is a bearable arm, she now argues that the nunchaku is not "a bearable arm within the meaning of the Second Amendment because it is not used by law abiding citizens for the defense of hearth and home." (Dkt. 199, at 7.) The Court rejects this argument. "As Heller explained, the term includes any 'weapon of offence' or 'thing that a man wears for his defence, or takes into his hands,' that is 'carried ... for the purpose of offensive or defensive action.' " Caetano ,
The Court rejects Defendant's argument that Section 265.01(1) is entitled to a presumption of constitutionality because it has existed for 44 years. (Dkt. 206, at 1 & n.1.) In Heller , the Supreme Court emphasized in dicta that its decision did not upend "longstanding prohibitions" on the possession of certain bearable arms.
The nunchaku ban does not fall into any of these categories. Moreover, in Heller II , the D.C. Circuit held that a number of the District's firearm registration requirements, which were passed in the mid-1970s, were "novel" and "not longstanding" for the purposes of the Second Amendment. Heller v. District of Columbia ("Heller II") ,
Indeed, while concerns about unlawful violence by "street gangs" involving the use of nunchaku evidently motivated the state assembly to pass the nunchaku ban into law, there are no specific examples or crime statistics regarding these alleged "street gang" nunchaku crimes cited in the legislative materials. (See generally Dkt. 199-1); see also Brook Larmer, "Ninja" Movies, Mail-Order Loophole Help Martial-Arts Weapons to Spread , Christian Science Monitor (Nov. 19, 1985), https://www.csmonitor.com/1985/1119/amart.html ("[M]ost evidence on weapons-related crimes in the martial arts ... is limited to scattered police reports that vaguely identify assailants as ninja warriors. Steve Schlesinger, director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, says that 'the lack of data reflects only our current inability to obtain it and not the magnitude of the problem to society.' ").
To allay its concerns about completeness, the Court, on its own, has identified 52 nunchaku-related incidents in the United States since 1974, with the vast majority occurring since 2011. They are listed chronologically, along with the four newspaper articles cited by Defendant in her summary judgment briefing, in an appendix to this opinion. Even if Defendant had offered evidence of these 56 incidents at trial, they do not constitute clear and convincing evidence, or a preponderance of evidence, that nunchakus are not commonly used by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.
For this additional reason, see supra note 13, the Court rejects Defendant's complaint that she "was not given an opportunity to submit a brief in accordance with the Court's revised standard of proof but, rather, given a limited opportunity to opine whether the evidence previously submitted has met the newly-defined legal standard." (Dkt. 213, at 2.) Additional briefing could not have rectified the fundamental lack of evidence. The Court also rejects Defendant's argument that the Court's consideration of the "lawful use" of nunchaku for martial arts practice reflects "an over-simplified application of Second Amendment jurisdiction," (id. ), because, in actuality, the Court has "consider[ed] more broadly whether the weapon is 'dangerous and unusual' in the hands of law-abiding civilians," NYSRPA ,
Inexplicably, Defendant states that "[o]bviously, spring-guns and carrying/using mace or stun guns are not constitutionally protected activities" because they are dangerous. (Dkt. 213, at 2.) This statement is plainly incorrect, at least as to stun guns and mace. In Caetano , Justice Alito explicitly argued that stun guns are constitutionally protected weapons. 136 S.Ct. at 1028-1033 (Alito, J., concurring); see also People v. Yanna ,
As previously discussed, see supra note 17, while the Court applies a "clear and convincing" standard of proof, Defendant's evidence also fails under a preponderance standard.
The virtual impossibility of the task itself convinces the Court that common use cannot be a relevant, and certainly not the only relevant, criterion under Heller .
See, e.g. ,
Defendant subpoenaed 17 nunchaku distributors, and seven companies responded. (Dkt. 199, at 6; Dkt. 199-9.)
The Court has only identified one case in which a court found that a weapon was not in common use. In Hollis v. Lynch , the Fifth Circuit found that the existence of 175,977 civilian-owned machine guns did not rise to the level of "common use" for three reasons: (1) the number of machine guns was "below [the] more than 8 million AR- and AK-platform semi-automatic rifles manufactured in or imported into the United States [that] the Fourth Circuit held was sufficient for a showing of common use [in Kolbe v. Hogan ,
Although Defendant suggested in her November 12, 2018 submission that a rational basis review standard might apply to Section 265.01(1), based on "law of the case" (Dkt. 213, at 2), the Court rejects that argument. As an initial matter, Judge Spatt's prior decision applying a rational basis test cannot be viewed as law of the case, in light of the decision ultimately being overturned by the Supreme Court. N.Y.C. Dep't of Fin. v. Twin Rivers, Inc. , No. 95-CV-1389 (HB)(HBP),
At Oral Argument, Defendant argued that Section 265.01(1) is not a "total ban" on nunchaku because individuals may use foam and plastic nunchaku. However, as stated in note 10, Defendant has not shown, and cannot even commit to the view, that these types of nunchaku are not covered by Section 265.01(1). Moreover, there is no evidence that foam or plastic nunchaku are "adequate alternatives ... for self-defense." United States v. Decastro ,
Or, alternatively, the store could be charged with "caus[ing] [nunchaku] to be manufactured" in violation of Section 265.10.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- James M. MALONEY v. Madeline SINGAS, Nassau County District Attorney
- Cited By
- 7 cases
- Status
- Published