DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of a state law 4-3 on Friday limiting gun rights to people who were involuntarily admitted for mental health concerns.
The case was brought before the state's highest court after a Pottawattamie County man, who will remain unidentified due to privacy concerns, appealed a previous district court's 2023 ruling. The court concluded he could not own or carry a firearm stemming from previous healthcare treatment in 2006 when he was a teenager.
The district court denied the petition last year because it said even though this man was a teen when involuntarily admitted, he failed to prove he "will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to the public safety" now that he's an adult.
And on Friday, the Iowa Supreme Court agreed that there is no "strict scrutiny standard," which requires a law to meet "compelling" government interest.
In simpler terms, the state ruled it "has a compelling interest in preventing gun violence and suicide," so the court affirmed the denial of this man's gun rights, because he didn't show he was no longer a threat to public safety.
Court records state that in 2006, this man was admitted to outpatient treatment by his family because of threats made to harm himself and his mother, and due to abuse of alcohol and drugs. Doctors later diagnosed him with bipolar disorder.
In 2022, when Iowa passed a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to keep and bear arms, the plaintiff submitted an application for a "concealed carry permit." However, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office denied it due to the reasons stated above.
State law allows this man to reapply every two years to have his gun rights restored.