John J. Donohue III was interviewed by Legal Aggregate in “Stanford’s John Donohue on the Supreme Court’s Affirmation of Gun Rights.”

On Thursday, the Supreme Court struck down a Hawaii state law that prohibited licensed concealed-carry holders from bringing firearms onto private property open to the public, including stores and restaurants, unless the property owner expressly permitted it. The Court’s decision puts the onus on property owners who do not want firearms on their premises—to post a sign or otherwise communicate a no-guns policy. Writing for the majority in Wolford v. Lopez, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said the Hawaii law violated the Second Amendment because it “hobbles what the Second Amendment protects: the right of Americans to carry arms for self-defense as they go about their daily lives.” Here, leading empirical scholar and gun law expert Professor John Donohue explains the Court’s decision and offers historical context on rulings that have strongly protected gun owners’ rights.