The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is reviewing two consolidated cases challenging Maryland's gun control laws, marking a significant Second Amendment battle that could affect firearms regulations across multiple states.
The consolidated appeals, numbered 24-1799 and 24-1827, were filed Jan. 20, 2026, and feature gun rights organizations and individual plaintiffs challenging various Maryland officials over the state's firearms restrictions. The cases target Governor Wes Moore, Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland L. Butler Jr., and other state officials responsible for implementing and enforcing gun regulations.
In the first case, *Susannah Warner Kipke v. Wes Moore*, the plaintiffs include individual gun owner Susannah Warner Kipke and the Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association. They are challenging decisions by Maryland officials including Butler, who serves as both State Police Superintendent and Secretary, and Joshua Kurtz, Secretary of Natural Resources.
The second case, *Katherine Novotny v. Wesley Moore*, involves additional individual plaintiffs including Katherine Novotny, Sue Burke, and Esther Rossberg, along with gun rights organizations Maryland Shall Issue Inc., the Second Amendment Foundation, and the Firearms Policy Coalition. This case names additional defendants, including multiple state's attorneys from Harford County, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City, as well as Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld.
The appeals represent challenges to lower court decisions that apparently upheld Maryland's gun control measures. The Fourth Circuit's jurisdiction includes Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, making this decision potentially influential across the mid-Atlantic region.
Supporting the state's position are several major gun violence prevention organizations and multiple states. Amici curiae supporting the defendants include Everytown for Gun Safety, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, and the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Additionally, the District of Columbia and 18 states have filed supporting briefs, including Illinois, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
The broad coalition of amici supporting Maryland's position demonstrates the national significance of the case. These jurisdictions likely have similar gun control measures and view the outcome as potentially affecting their own firearms regulations.
The timing of these appeals comes as courts nationwide continue to grapple with the scope of Second Amendment protections following the Supreme Court's decision in *New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen* (2022), which established a new framework requiring gun regulations to be consistent with the nation's historical tradition of firearms regulation.
Maryland has enacted various gun control measures over the years, including restrictions on certain types of firearms, magazine capacity limits, and licensing requirements. The specific provisions being challenged in these consolidated appeals are not detailed in the available court documents, but the involvement of multiple state agencies suggests the challenges may target comprehensive aspects of Maryland's gun regulatory framework.
The Fourth Circuit has historically taken varied approaches to Second Amendment cases, and these consolidated appeals will test how the court applies current Supreme Court precedent to state-level gun regulations. The court's decision could influence similar challenges in other jurisdictions within the Fourth Circuit.
The involvement of state's attorneys as defendants in one of the cases suggests the challenges may involve prosecutorial discretion or enforcement mechanisms related to Maryland's gun laws. The inclusion of the Transportation Secretary and Natural Resources Secretary as defendants indicates the challenges may extend beyond traditional law enforcement agencies to broader regulatory frameworks.
The substantial briefing in these cases, as evidenced by the 94-page document filing, suggests complex legal arguments involving constitutional interpretation, historical analysis, and policy considerations. The gun rights organizations involved have extensive experience litigating Second Amendment cases and have been active in challenging state-level restrictions nationwide.
Given the consolidated nature of these appeals and the broad coalition of supporting organizations and states, the Fourth Circuit's eventual decision will likely be closely watched by gun rights advocates, gun violence prevention groups, and other jurisdictions with similar regulatory frameworks. The court's ruling could either affirm Maryland's approach to gun regulation or require modifications to comply with Second Amendment protections as currently interpreted by federal courts.
The timing of the January 2026 filing suggests these cases will proceed through the appellate process over the coming months, with oral arguments and a decision expected later in 2026. The outcome could prompt further appeals to the Supreme Court, particularly if the Fourth Circuit's decision conflicts with rulings from other federal appellate courts on similar issues.