Court Rules That University Of Michigan Officials Can Ban Guns On Campus

The University of Michigan won a lawsuit challenging a campus ban on guns.

In a 2-1 decision, the state appeals court voted that the University of Michigan can regulate the possession of guns and its 2001 ban doesn’t violate the U.S. Constitution. The ruling affirms a decision by the Michigan Court of Claims in a lawsuit filed by 25-year-old Ann Arbor resident Joshua Wade.

Wade is a concealed carrier who regularly visits the downtown area of the city and didn’t want to become an “accidental criminal” if he were to broach the University of Michigan campus.

via Detroit News:

Wade — who packs a pistol identical to one formerly carried by Navy SEAL special warfare operators and is not a UM student — filed for a waiver from UM’s rule, which bans guns on campus. When he was denied, he sued in 2015, saying the university’s policy conflicts with state law and the U.S. Constitution. Wade pointed a dissenting opinion written by one of the appeals judges, and said he was still considering whether to proceed to the Michigan Supreme Court.

“We respect the decision of the court of appeals,” Wade said Wednesday. “But it doesn’t change our beliefs that we do have the correct argument, which is that UM cannot enact an ordinance banning firearms.”

The court also says the Ann Arbor school and its other campuses aren’t covered by a state law that prevents local governments from putting limits on guns.

All University of Michigan properties are gun-free for students, staff and the public unless a waiver is granted by the public safety department.

The appeals court decision was made on Tuesday, June 6 but was released Wednesday, June 7.