第五巡回上诉法院裁定《联邦弹簧刀法》核心条款违宪：弹簧刀属第二修正案保护的「武器」
美国联邦第五巡回上诉法院 10 月 21 日公布意见（案号 25-10754），在持刀权利组织 Knife Rights 等诉联邦司法部一案中，依最高法院 Bruen 案确立的框架，裁定 1958 年《联邦弹簧刀法》（Federal Switchblade Act）核心条款违宪。意见由首席法官 Jennifer Walker Elrod 主笔，Willett 与 Wilson 法官同庭。案件上诉自德州北区联邦地区法院，被告为代理司法部长 Todd Wallace Blanche 与司法部。
合议庭认定，弹簧刀属第二修正案文本所称的「武器」（Arms），且属民众「普遍使用」之列，受修正案保护；政府须证明该法规符合第二修正案的历史规制传统，而政府未能完成这一举证。该法第 1242 条对弹簧刀引入、制造、运输与分销（州际贸易）的限制未通过审查，法院撤销地区法院驳回该条诉请的裁定。
另一方面，该法第 1243 条规范在联邦特别海事与领土管辖区内持有弹簧刀。法院认为，原告对该条提出的全面违宪（facial）主张未达到严格标准：该条在法院、联邦监狱、使领馆与军事基地等场所存在明显合宪的适用，因此维持地区法院对该条诉请的驳回。案件发回地区法院续审。
《联邦弹簧刀法》制定于 1958 年（编为 15 U.S.C. §§ 1241–45），当年立法目的在于遏制弹簧刀的州际流通。此次裁决为巡回法院的先例性意见。
Fifth Circuit Strikes Down Core of the Federal Switchblade Act: Switchblades Are 'Arms' Under the Second Amendment
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an opinion on October 21 (No. 25-10754) holding the core of the 1958 Federal Switchblade Act unconstitutional under the framework of the Supreme Court's Bruen decision, in a challenge brought by Knife Rights, Inc. and others against the Justice Department. Chief Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod wrote the opinion, joined by Judges Willett and Wilson. The case came up from the Northern District of Texas; the defendants are Acting Attorney General Todd Wallace Blanche and the Department of Justice.
The panel held that switchblade knives qualify as "Arms" covered by the plain text of the Second Amendment and are in common use. The government therefore had to show that the Act comports with the nation's historical tradition of arms regulation, and, the court held, it failed to do so: the restrictions in Section 1242 on the introduction, manufacture, transportation and distribution of switchblades in interstate commerce did not survive review. The court reversed the district court's dismissal of the Section 1242 claim.
The plaintiffs fared worse on Section 1243, which covers possession within the federal special maritime and territorial jurisdiction. The court held their facial challenge did not meet the stringent standard, since the provision has plainly constitutional applications in places such as courthouses, federal prisons, embassies and military bases; it affirmed the dismissal of that claim. The case was remanded for further proceedings.
The Federal Switchblade Act was enacted in 1958 (codified at 15 U.S.C. §§ 1241–45) to stem the interstate flow of switchblade knives. The ruling is a precedential opinion of the circuit.
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图片来源：美国联邦第五巡回上诉法院大楼（CC BY 3.0，Wikimedia Commons）
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