What: Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) filed a new federal lawsuit, Goldberger v. James, challenging New York’s “sensitive location” handgun carry ban in the Times Square area. FPC is seeking a permanent injunction against the enforcement of the carry ban as well as other relief.
Who: The plaintiffs challenging the ban include one FPC member. The plaintiffs are represented by Peter A. Patterson, William V. Bergstrom, and Alfonso Gamboa of Cooper & Kirk, PLLC.
When: The complaint was filed on March 20, 2026. Likely next steps include an answer from the defendant and a briefing schedule from the District Court.
Where: The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Why: New York’s ban unconstitutionally deprives individuals of the right to keep and bear arms in what is indisputably a public place where the need for self-defense may arise. The ban clearly contradicts the Supreme Court’s holding that governments cannot ban carry simply because a location is crowded and generally protected by the police.
Quote: “FPC filed this case to end New York’s Times Square gun ban and free New Yorkers from anti-rights tyrants like Letitia James. Times Square isn’t a Constitution-free zone, and the government can’t disarm peaceable people who carry for self-defense on public sidewalks and streets. This unconstitutional ban violates the rights of hundreds of thousands of people every day, so we will force the State to respect the Second Amendment-whether they like it or not,” FPC President Brandon Combs.
About Firearms Policy Coalition
Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) is a nonprofit membership organization that exists to create a world of maximal individual liberty and eliminate unconstitutional gun control laws. FPC works—and wins—for the People through high-impact strategic litigation, groundbreaking research, legislative and regulatory advocacy, grassroots activism, education, and public engagement. FPC’s legal division, FPC Law, is the nation’s leading initiative dedicated to restoring the right to keep and bear arms across the United States. To learn more about how FPC is working—and winning—for the People, sign up for FPC news alerts at firearmspolicy.org and follow FPC on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
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