DOJ Sues US Virgin Islands Police

[John Kloehr]

VIPD and Defendant Brooks continue to enforce Virgin Islands laws nearly

identical to those struck down by the Supreme Court in Bruen. VI Defendants require that

applicants submit to intrusive and warrantless home searches as a condition of obtaining

a gun permit. They demand that applicants unnecessarily spend money to install a safe

and further require the safe to be bolted either to the floor or wall of applicant’s home as

a condition of granting a permit, even though in Heller, the Supreme Court held that a

similar requirement is unconstitutional. See 554 U.S. at 635 (holding that the District of

Columbia’s “prohibition against [possessing a] lawful firearm in the home operable for

the purpose of immediate self-defense” violates the Second Amendment) (emphasis

added). VI Defendants unreasonably delay the processing of applications, even from those

individuals who are willing to comply with blatantly unconstitutional requirements.

 

From: https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1420996/dl

[Blackwater 53393]

Hopefully awarded certiority and expedited!  If settled as DOJ requests, it would serve as excellent precedent for future litigation!!

[John Kloehr]

5 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

Hopefully awarded certiority and expedited!  If settled as DOJ requests, it would serve as excellent precedent for future litigation!!

The suit is filed in the Virgin Island Federal Court. VIPD will have to respond. Not sure if I can find public access to the docket, or if it will even be available on Pacer (and I do not pay for an account there). Will track it as best I can.

 

Lots of "hate" in (other) forum discussions as to why the DOJ is taking this action in a territory when there are plenty more issues here in the states. I'm looking at it as an easy win for gun rights plus there may be federalism issues in the territories the DOJ wants to clearly establish.

Edited December 16, 2025 by John Kloehr

[Blackwater 53393]

Are the other forums pro or anti gun??

[John Kloehr]

29 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

Are the other forums pro or anti gun??

Pro. The discussion is not that the DOJ is wrong to take this action in VI, more a matter of why take this action when there are more problems closer to home (Illinois, etc.).

[Blackwater 53393]

Some folks are too obtuse to recognize that a positive ruling in this case would stand as precedent in all similar cases!?!?!😡