Federal appeals court upholds Illinois ban on semiautomatic weapons, overturning lower-court ruling
The court said the ban fits the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation and covers more than 100 semiautomatic weapons, officials said.
- On Thursday, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Illinois' 2023 assault weapons ban in a 2-1 decision, overturning a lower court ruling that found the law unconstitutional.
- Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act in 2023, six months after a mass shooting at a Highland Park Independence Day parade that killed seven people.
- The panel ruled the ban "consistent with our regulatory tradition," distinguishing military-grade weapons from those designed for personal use, while evidence showed assault weapons correlate with greater mass shooting severity.
- Rep. Bob Morgan confirmed the decision as constitutional, while the National Shooting Sports Foundation expressed disappointment and announced plans to request a U.S. Supreme Court review.
- Legal uncertainty persists as the U.S. Supreme Court indicated last week it will hear challenges to similar bans in Cook County and Connecticut, potentially affecting the Illinois statute's longevity.
36 Articles
36 Articles
U.S. federal appeals court upholds Illinois ban on semiautomatic weapons, overturning lower-court ruling
A U.S. federal appeals court on Thursday upheld an Illinois ban on semiautomatic weapons, keeping in place a law passed largely in response to a deadly Independence Day parade shooting.
Federal appeals court upholds Illinois ban on semiautomatic weapons, overturning lower-court ruling
A federal appeals court has upheld an Illinois ban on semiautomatic weapons. The decision Thursday keeps in place a law passed largely in response to a deadly Independence Day parade shooting that killed seven.
Federal appeals court upholds Illinois assault weapons ban as Supreme Court takes up issue
A U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld Illinois' assault weapons and large-capacity magazine ban, days after the U.S. Supreme Court decided it will soon take up the issue of weapon bans in a case involving Cook County.
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