The Supreme Court stayed a ruling by a George W. Bush appointee that blocked an ATF rule about the unregulated manufacture of parts used to make “ghost guns,” homemade or shop-built parts that are used to manufacture unregistered and unregulated weapons by an individual, Steven Mazie of the Economist reports.
Plaintiffs in the case got Federal District Judge Reed O’Connor to block the ATF’s regulation of manufactured parts that are used to construct guns. Challenging aspects of the Gun Control Act of 1968, the suit claimed that new federal authorities that regulate the manufacture, sale and distribution of gun parts is not covered in the 1968 law or its updates. SCOTUS maintained ATF’s right to regulate those activities until it can hear the case itself. In the 5-4 vote, Justices Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh and Gorsuch voted in the minority.