On March 28, 2024, NRA filed an amicus brief with the en banc Ninth Circuit in Teter v. Lopez, a challenge to Hawaii’s prohibition on the possession of butterfly knives.
The brief argues that butterfly knives are not dangerous and unusual weapons, that Americans have kept and carried pocketknives for self-defense since the earliest colonial days, and that there is no tradition of prohibiting knife possession throughout American history.
Any prohibition on bearable arms—whether those arms are firearms, knives, or something else—must pass the “history and tradition” test that the Supreme Court outlined in Bruen. NRA’s brief makes clear that Hawaii’s butterfly knife ban fails that test.
Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org for future updates on NRA-ILA’s ongoing efforts to defend your constitutional rights.