Gun control activists in Maine just got another reality check, and this one stings. For the second time, a federal judge has rejected an attempt to reinstate the state’s controversial three-day waiting period for firearm purchases. The ruling is yet another win for Second Amendment advocates and a harsh reminder that constitutional rights aren’t up for negotiation just because anti-gun politicians want to score points.
The saga began last month when Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker granted a request from gun rights groups to temporarily block the waiting period. In that ruling, Judge Walker didn’t mince words. He stated that the plaintiffs had made a “compelling argument” that the law was unconstitutional, making it clear that the Second Amendment doesn’t come with a waiting room.
“Given that Plaintiffs have established a likelihood of success and the existence of irreparable injury, I find that the balance of equities favors them as well,” Walker wrote. “Although members of the public undoubtedly feel that they have a genuine interest in laws curtailing the right to keep and bear arms, their interest is not exclusive and not one that can win out in terms of an interest-balancing exercise by a court that is sworn to uphold the Constitution.”
In short: constitutional rights aren’t subject to popularity contests or emotional appeals.
Walker went even further, emphasizing that “acquiring a firearm is a necessary step in the exercise of keeping and bearing arms.” That statement cut straight to the heart of the issue. For those who value their Second Amendment rights, a waiting period isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a direct barrier to self-defense and personal security.
Maine’s Attorney General didn’t take the loss quietly. Disappointed and determined, they appealed the decision to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. Meanwhile, they petitioned Walker’s court to reinstate the law temporarily until the appeals court could weigh in. Once again, Walker refused to budge.
His reasoning? Simple. “If the Act is unconstitutional—which it likely is—it will curtail the exercise of rights preserved under the Second Amendment … on a regular, steady, and ongoing daily basis,” Walker wrote. He didn’t stop there, warning that the law would affect nearly every firearm sale in Maine for as long as the legal battle dragged on. In other words, innocent citizens would be denied their rights while politicians played courtroom games.
Walker cited the 2022 Bruen ruling as a guiding principle, reminding everyone that the Supreme Court had firmly established new standards for evaluating gun laws. Under Bruen, firearm regulations must align with America’s historical tradition of gun rights. Walker’s decision slammed the state’s argument that a waiting period’s supposed “lifesaving benefits” justified its constitutionality. That kind of “ends justify the means” logic doesn’t cut it when individual freedoms are on the line.
“This is an unsubtle point that nevertheless appears lost in the shuffle, apparently to persuade me of the wisdom of the law to compensate for its potential constitutional shortcomings,” Walker remarked. Translation: the state tried to push feel-good rhetoric over legal facts, and Walker wasn’t having it.
Predictably, gun control activists didn’t take the ruling well. Instead of accepting that the law trampled on constitutional rights, they resorted to finger-pointing and political posturing. Nacole Palmer, executive director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, lashed out, blaming the ruling on the fact that Judge Walker was appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term.
“We’re deeply troubled by the decision of a Trump-appointed judge to roll back Maine’s gun safety laws,” Palmer wrote in a statement. “That the gun lobby sued to roll back a commonsense law that doesn’t prevent anyone’s right to buy guns but does help prevent suicide is unsurprising. That a judge granted them this political victory at the cost of Mainers is surprising.”
This is the tired playbook we’ve seen over and over: when the facts don’t favor gun control activists, they cry politics. But let’s be clear—this wasn’t about politics; it was about the Constitution. Judge Walker didn’t side with the “gun lobby.” He sided with the American people and the Second Amendment, which doesn’t disappear just because some bureaucrat decides Mainers need a few extra days to think about their rights.
Gun control groups like Palmer’s insist that waiting periods are “commonsense laws.” But what’s common sense about making someone wait to defend themselves? If a battered spouse needs a firearm for protection, that three-day wait could mean the difference between life and death. Criminals don’t schedule their attacks around cooling-off periods, and they certainly don’t shop at licensed gun stores.
Walker’s ruling strikes a blow against the persistent myth that restrictive gun laws somehow enhance public safety. Maine’s waiting period law was little more than feel-good legislation designed to appease anti-gun activists. It ignored the real-world consequences for law-abiding citizens who simply want to exercise their Second Amendment rights without unnecessary delay.
For now, Maine’s gun owners can breathe easier knowing their rights are still intact. The battle isn’t over yet, but Judge Walker’s ruling is a clear reminder that emotional appeals and political spin won’t hold up in court when constitutional rights are on the line.
The truth is simple: delaying a constitutional right is no different than denying it. Judge Walker got it right, and Maine’s leaders would do well to remember that next time they try to chip away at the rights of law-abiding citizens.
