Politics & Government

Somerset Man Files Lawsuit As Gun Shops Close Amid Coronavirus

Republican Senator Mike Doherty (D-23) also is pushing Gov. Phil Murphy to reopen gun shops to preserve NJ residents' 2nd Amendment rights.

A Somerset man filed a lawsuit against Governor Phil Murphy for closing gun shops and stopping background checks.
A Somerset man filed a lawsuit against Governor Phil Murphy for closing gun shops and stopping background checks. (Shutterstock)

SOMERSET, NJ — A Somerset man filed a lawsuit against Governor Phil Murphy for closing gun shops and stopping background checks. Senator Mike Doherty of NJ District 23 also is calling on Murphy to reopen gun shops that were closed by executive order to preserve New Jersey residents 2nd Amendment rights.

Robert Kashinsky of the Somerset section of Franklin Township, the New Jersey Second Amendment Society and the Second Amendment Foundation filed a lawsuit against Murphy and the Superintendent of New Jersey State Police, Patrick Callahan on Monday.

"When the novel coronavirus began to spread in the United States, he became concerned about his ability to protect himself and his wife in the event that the situation developed such that emergency services were unavailable or were not reliably available. He decided that it had now become an appropriate time to purchase a firearm," the lawsuit said of Kashinsky.

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Kashinsky filed the lawsuit after he was unable to purchase a gun when Murphy's order was put in place.


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Doherty is also joining several legislators asking Murphy to reopen gun shops that were closed by executive order.

"In many rural areas that have no local police, people can wait an hour or longer for the State Police to respond to a call for help even in the best of times," said Doherty, Republican. "What’s going to happen when more police departments, including the State Police, start experiencing real staffing issues due to the coronavirus? In an emergency, families in some of our communities might have to wait hours for a response, which is just too long. Governor Murphy should follow the lead of Governor Wolf in Pennsylvania and allow New Jersey’s gun stores to reopen. His personal dislike of firearms does not diminish the 2nd Amendment rights of New Jerseyans during this crisis."

Gun shops were forced to close on March 21 when Murphy signed Executive Order No. 107 ordering the closure of all non-essential retail businesses. This also caused the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to be taken offline.

"With armed State Troopers at his side, the governor has little to worry about," Doherty added. "That's not the reality of many New Jerseyans who must guarantee their own security. Governor Murphy should do the right think and recognize that businesses that help protect many New Jersey families are essential businesses should be allowed to operate."

Doherty's 23rd district includes Hunterdon County, Warren County and parts of Somerset County including Bedminster Township, Bound Brook Borough, Bridgewater Township, Peapack-Gladstone Borough, Raritan Borough and South Bound Brook Borough.

See the lawsuit below:

Gov. Phil Murphy Lawsuit For Closing Gun Shops by Alexis Tarrazi on Scribd

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