A woman has filed a lawsuit against Suffolk County and several police officers, claiming her pistol license was unconstitutionally suspended because she lives with her husband, who is prohibited from owning a firearm.
According to the lawsuit filed by plaintiff Christine M. Weber, Suffolk County has a municipal policy that prohibits individuals from obtaining or maintaining a pistol license if they reside with someone legally barred from possessing firearms. Weber's husband, Peter, was arrested on April 8, 2021. Despite not being accused of any wrongdoing herself, Christine's pistol and license were seized by police officers the same day. The following day, her license was officially suspended under this "prohibited person policy." According to Weber's lawsuit, this policy has been previously criticized for potentially violating constitutional rights.
Weber's complaint draws parallels to a previous case, Milau v. Suffolk County et al., where it was found that the same municipal policy was in violation of the Second Amendment and possibly infringing upon First Amendment rights concerning intimate association. The crux of Weber's argument is that the policy forces her to choose between living with her husband of 41 years or exercising her right to possess a firearm, thereby infringing upon her constitutional rights.
Weber seeks various forms of relief from the court, including injunctive relief to prevent further enforcement of this policy against her and others similarly situated. She also demands compensatory damages for economic losses and emotional distress caused by what she perceives as an unjust punishment for actions she did not commit. Additionally, punitive damages are sought against individual defendants who enforced this policy with alleged disregard for her constitutional rights.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Fred L. Abrams, Esq. The case was filed in the Eastern District of New York under Case ID 25-CV-2082 and is presided over by Judge Steven I. Locke.