A federal appeals court on July 9 upheld Illinois’s ban on the sale and possession of 'assault weapons' and large-capacity magazines, overturning a lower court ruling that had blocked enforcement of the law. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit came in a 2-1 ruling, with the majority stating the ban is 'consistent with the principles that underpin our nation’s tradition of firearm regulation.'
The Protect Illinois Communities Act was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in January 2023 following a deadly Independence Day parade shooting in Highland Park that killed seven people. A federal judge had previously overturned the law in 2024, finding it violated the Second Amendment, but the injunction was stayed after the state appealed.
Core Facts and Ruling
The appeals court concluded that semiautomatic rifles are rarely used for self-defense, citing an analysis that found handguns account for the majority of defensive gun uses. The majority opinion also rejected claims that semiautomatic weapons are not at fault for mass shootings, stating that their presence is 'strongly correlated with the severity of the societal problem.'
Dissenting Opinion
Circuit Judge Michael Brennan dissented, arguing that the Illinois law contradicts the nation’s regulatory traditions by prohibiting firearms commonly owned for self-defense. He noted that the AR-15 rifle and its magazines are the 'weapon of choice' for many Americans and are thus protected by the Second Amendment.
Legal and Political Reactions
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul praised the decision, stating that 'assault weapons and large-capacity magazines have no place in our communities.' Gov. Pritzker also supported the ruling, while the National Shooting Sports Foundation plans to seek Supreme Court review.
Broader Implications
The case, Barnett v. Raoul, may eventually reach the Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear similar cases involving the Second Amendment protections for AR-15-style rifles. The decision could set a precedent for future firearm regulations nationwide.