(WENY) -- Friday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit struck down New York State's law that bans guns in places of worship. This ruling sets a precedent not only in the Empire State, but across the country. The plaintiff in this ruling is "His Tabernacle" in Horseheads. 

In 2022, in response to the Buffalo Tops mass shooting, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into a law a package of sweeping gun laws. One law banned where guns could be carried, including guns carried by concealed pistol permit holders in places such as bars, hospitals, and government buildings. The law also banned guns at places of worship.  

Pastor Micheal Spencer of "His Tabernacle" in Horseheads was the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed against the Acting Superintendent of the New York State Police Steven A. Nigrelli, and the District Attorneys for both Chemung County and Tompkins County. 

The lawsuit was filed by First Liberty Institute, Clement & Murphy PLLC, and Ganguly Brothers PLLC. The lawsuit said the law that bans guns in places of worship is unconstitutional, and the Second Circuit of the Supreme Court agreed. The court said the law in question, in relation to places of worship, is unconstitutional and these types of organizations are protected by the First Amendment. 

In the lawsuit, it was argued that churches and other places of worship should have the right to defend themselves, especially during a time where there is increasing violence against these types of places, across the country.  

In the lawsuit, “New York’s attempt to force houses of worship and their parishioners to choose between their First Amendment rights and their Second—an outlier policy shared by no other state in the Nation—stands as an act of defiance to the Supreme Court’s recent and emphatic holdings protecting both.”  

First Liberty Institute said the First Amendment played a big role in the outcome of this particular lawsuit. 

“All the houses of worship, except His Tabernacle, lost because we were the only ones to file a First Amendment claim to this new law. All the rest of them were thrown out based on mootness,” Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel for First Liberty Institute, said. “The State of New York did a little bit of fancy footwork to adjust the law and moot their Second Amendment claim.”  

After this ruling came down from the federal courts, Gov. Hochul responded to the news. 

"In the wake of a reckless Supreme Court decision that stripped away a key tool I had as Governor to protect New Yorkers from gun violence, I worked with the Legislature to craft nation-leading concealed carry laws to protect public safety. These laws instituted common-sense protections to strengthen background checks, protect sensitive locations, and ensure permits are issued responsibly. Now, even after a year of legal assault from right-wing extremists, core tenets of our laws remain in effect following today's ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Public safety is my top priority, and I'll continue my efforts to keep New Yorkers safe." 

The full copy of the lawsuit is included below.