Cases soared in New York, but constitutionality questioned
ALBANY, NY — The use of the red flag law in New York has surged over the past year to allow judges to confiscate weapons from people they deem dangerous.
The rise in cases, according to prosecutors and elected officials, has helped quell gun violence in New York after an alarming spike during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With an expanded law and more attention to it, the growth in cases has been extraordinary after it was barely used when it was first passed in 2019. In 2021, there were 538 extreme risk protection orders issued. A year later, the number soared