Supreme Court seems poised to expand Second Amendment rights and strike down NY handgun law

(CNN)The Supreme Court seemed ready to expand Second Amendment rights after hearing arguments for over two hours and expressing skepticism about a New York law that restricts individuals from carrying concealed handguns outside the home for self-defense.

Chief Justice John Roberts at one point pressed New York's solicitor general about the breadth of the law that requires an individual to show "proper cause" before obtaining such a license in locations typically open to the general public, even in rural areas.

"How many muggings take place in a forest?" Roberts asked. And President Donald Trump's three appointees, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh were concerned about the high bar necessary to obtain a permit.

"Why isn't it good enough to say I live in a violent area?" Kavanaugh asked. Barrett suggested the law passed legal muster under the court's landmark 2008 decision that held that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms.

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