From The Mercury News:
SAN FRANCISCO — In a surprising ruling, a federal appeals court Thursday declared unconstitutional the restrictions that many California counties have used to sharply limit the right to carry a concealed handgun.
The 2-1 ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a San Diego case isn’t final because it could still be appealed. But if it stands, “California will join the vast majority of other states that now (freely) issue permits to people for self-defense,” said Chuck Michel, attorney for the California Rifle and Pistol Association.
That would be a sea change for most Bay Area counties, where sheriffs generally require applicants to show evidence that their safety is at such great risk that it can only be addressed by giving them a permit to carry a gun. But in other parts of the Golden State, it’s much easier to get a concealed-carry permit: While sheriffs in urban counties hand out permits by the dozens, sheriffs in less-populated rural continues hand them out by the thousands… Read more.