California Billy Club Ban Struck Down

Above, a PR24 side handle police baton.

Somewhere in my garage is my old PR24 side handle police baton that I carried while on security armed patrol back in the day. I have a California permit for it which is still valid.

However, a crazy California law made it illegal for people to carry or even possess a "billy club" or police baton for self-defense if they don't have a security or police permit.

Until now.

From Yahoo! News:

A court in California has stricken down a state ban on billy clubs on Second Amendment grounds.

The lawsuit was brought by plaintiff Russell Fouts against California Attorney General Rob Bonta over the state law making it a crime to carry or even possess a billy club.

"This case is about a California law that makes it a crime to simply possess or carry a billy. This case is not about whether California can prohibit or restrict the use or possession of a billy for unlawful purposes," the verdict reads.

It continues, "Historically, the short wooden stick that police officers once carried on their beat was known as a billy or billy club. The term remains vague today and may encompass a metal baton, a little league bat, a wooden table leg, or a broken golf club shaft, all of which are weapons that could be used for self-defense but are less lethal than a firearm."

To read more, go here.