A federal appeals court in California ruled Thursday that U.S. citizens do not have a constitutional right to carry concealed weapons in public.
The 11-judge panel overturned a decision by a smaller panel from the same court.
Thursday's ruling upholds a California state law requiring applicants for permits to carry hidden weapons to show a good reason why they need to carry a gun, such as defending themselves against someone who poses a true threat.
The original suit was brought by California citizens who were denied permits to carry a gun by sheriff’s departments in two counties. They argued the sheriffs were violating their constitutional right to bear arms as spelled out in the Second Amendment. But California's attorney general appealed the initial ruling.
The case eventually could wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.
