A court says there is no constitutional right to possess brass knuckles in Michigan, a weapon typically associated with violent ambushes in dark alleys and banned in nearly two dozen states.
The Michigan Court of Appeals, in an 18-page opinion, declined to interfere with a 1931 law that carries a five-year prison term for simply having brass knuckles, also known as metallic knuckles.
A “ban on the possession of metallic knuckles falls within the historical tradition of prohibiting the concealed carry of metallic knuckles as a dangerous and unusual weapon,” Judge Christopher Murray wrote in a 3-0 opinion Tuesday.
Brass knuckles are usually a single set of rings that fits on someone’s hand. A punch can inflict serious injuries.
“If you ask everybody out here, probably they’d all say brass knuckles are used by the gangs and the thugs who want to go make a point. The history and tradition of the use is not a glamorous one,” Murray said during arguments in November.
Lawyers for a Grand Rapids-area man argued that Michigan's ban violated the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Attorney Ryan Keast told the court that public opinions have changed over the years about what constitutes a dangerous and unusual weapon. He noted that brass knuckles can be purchased online and are an “excellent self-defense weapon.”
Nearly two dozen states have similar bans and 17 others regulate the possession of brass knuckles, according to a summary filed with the court.
Murray said the Michigan court could find “no appellate court across the nation” that had addressed whether a ban was constitutional.
