DOJ Sues LA Sheriff Over Concealed‑Carry Delays
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit on Sept. 30, 2025, against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Sheriff Robert Luna, alleging the agency has "systematically" delayed concealed‑carry permit applications in violation of the Second Amendment and California's statutory 90‑day response requirement. DOJ said its civil‑rights probe—opened in March—reviewed more than 8,000 applications (including renewals) and found average wait times exceeding a year; it reported that 3,982 new applications were received between Jan. 2024 and Mar. 2025, with only two approved as of May 8, 2025. Attorney General Pam Bondi is quoted defending the action; the filing follows a parallel suit by gun groups and a judge's partial injunction ordering shorter wait times.
🔍 Key Facts
- DOJ filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Sept. 30, 2025, naming LASD and Sheriff Robert Luna.
- DOJ review found 3,982 new concealed‑carry applications between Jan. 2024 and Mar. 2025; as of May 8, 2025 only 2 had been approved and roughly 2,768 remained pending.
- California law generally requires a response to CCW applications within 90 days; DOJ alleges LASD delays averaged more than one year and scheduled interviews into late 2026.
📍 Contextual Background
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executes search warrants at residences and family homes as part of criminal investigations.
- The Office for Civil Rights is an office within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigates incidents of targeted violence.
- Debarment is a federal administrative process that can render an entity ineligible to receive federal grants.
- YouTube and its parent company Alphabet agreed to pay a total of $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Donald J. Trump over the temporary suspension of his YouTube account after the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack.
- Federal prosecutors commonly resolve federal criminal charges through plea agreements, which typically result in a sentence below the statutory maximum.