PASADENA, Calif. — A federal appeals court has ruled against California’s law that aimed to require federal officers to wear identification while carrying out operations, The Washington Times reported.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on April 22 that the state was trying to regulate federal law enforcement officers, putting the law in violation of the Constitution.
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A lower court had already issued a block on a similar law that barred federal agents from wearing masks while on duty, finding that the law illegally singled out federal officers, the Washington Times reported. That court upheld the identification requirement, finding it did not discriminate against federal agencies.
The appeals court, however, found that the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution bars California law from regulating federal agencies.
“The Supremacy Clause forbids the state from enforcing such legislation ... ” wrote Judge Mark Bennett. “Because Section 10 of the No Vigilantes Act attempts to directly regulate the United States, we conclude that it is likely unconstitutional.”
