BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Gun-control advocates are sharply criticizing Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier after he asked an appeals court to support a teenager’s right to carry a concealed firearm, despite a Broward judge previously ruling that the state’s ban on concealed carry for 18 to 20-year-olds is constitutional.
Our news partners at the South Florida Sun Sentinel report that Uthmeier also refused to allow the Broward State Attorney’s Office to defend the law independently, prompting accusations that the state is failing to uphold legislation approved by lawmakers.
According to the Sun Sentinel, the dispute centers on a 1987 Florida law that prohibits concealed firearm possession for individuals aged 18 to 21. The law has long withstood legislative and judicial reviews. However, conflicting rulings have emerged: one Broward judge dismissed a concealed carry case after deeming the restriction unconstitutional under the Second Amendment, while another judge previously upheld the same statute in a separate case…