The Minnesota Supreme Court, composed of justices appointed by Democrat governors, ruled Wednesday that it is legal for residents to possess firearms that do not require serial numbers under federal law.
"This case will have broad implications for dozens of prosecutions across the state where individuals have been charged with felony crimes for possessing a personally manufactured firearm without a serial number," the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus wrote in a post on X.
The case stemmed from a rollover car accident in February 2022 in Fridley, Minnesota. A state trooper who arrived on the scene saw a gun magazine inside the car and the driver, Logan Vagle, said he had a pistol in the vehicle and did not have a permit to carry it, according to court documents. Vagle was charged the next day with possession of a firearm without a serial number and carrying a pistol without a permit, and he moved to have the former charge dismissed because of a lack of probable cause.
A judge in Anoka County District Court dismissed the charge after ruling the state law was unconstitutionally vague, but the state court of appeals reversed that decision by determining the law prohibited the possession of any firearm not identified by a serial number.
"Minnesota has not established an independent firearm serial number regime, and federal law does not require that Vagle’s pistol have a serial number," Justice Paul Thissen, appointed by former Gov. Mark Dayton, wrote in the majority opinion. "The question before us is whether Vagle’s possession of the firearm violated section 609.667(3). We conclude that section 609.667(3) criminalizes the possession of a firearm that is not identified by a serial number only if federal law requires that a serial number be stamped, engraved, cast, or otherwise conspicuously placed on the firearm.
"Because federal law does not require a serial number on the firearm that Vagle possessed, we reverse."
Thissen was joined by justices Anne McKeig — also appointed by Dayton — and Gordon Moore and Sarah Hennesy, each appointed by Gov. Tim Walz. Chief Justice Natalie Hudson and Justice Karl Procaccini, both appointed by Walz, dissented. Another Walz appointee, Justice Theodora Gaïtas, recused herself from the case.
Thissen’s decision remanded the case back to district court to determine "the other count brought against Vagle for carrying a pistol without a permit. … That count was not part of the district court’s disposition on the pretrial order that the State appealed."
State Sen. Andrew Mathews, R–Princeton, and Rep. Shane Mekeland, R-Clear Lake, praised the ruling in a joint statement, saying it has implications for Walker Anderson of Becker, Minnesota, who has been facing felony charges for possessing privately made firearms lacking serial numbers.
"In light of the State v. Vagle decision, the charges against Mr. Anderson have no path forward and it’s time for this witch hunt to end so this young man can go on with his life," the lawmakers said. "These baseless charges and gross misinterpretation of state law already have caused Mr. Anderson to suffer great damages over the last three years and it needs to end now."
Newsmax reached out to Democrat Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for comment.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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