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Michigan Supreme Court returns U-of-M gun case to lower court

Emily Fennick / EyeEm
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Getty Images/EyeEm

The Michigan Supreme Court has returned a challenge to the University of Michigan’s on-campus gun restrictions to a lower court.

The unsigned court order instructs the Michigan Court of Appeals to consider whether the U-of-M policy violates a US Supreme Court decision. The US Supreme Court, in a case from New York, struck down many gun restrictions.

An Ann Arbor resident sued U-of-M, arguing he has the right to openly carry a gun on campus. U-of-M bans on campus without special permission.

The university says it’s exempt from a state law that preempts “open carry” ordinances because a public university is not a local government. The Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the policy in 2017 with a 2-to-1 decision.

Justice Richard Bernstein did not participate in the case. His brother sits on the U-of-M Board of Regents.

A university spokesman had no immediate comment.