Federal judge strikes down Illinois assault weapons ban, setting up likely appeal

SPRINGFIELD – A federal judge in East St. Louis on Friday struck down Illinois’ assault weapons ban on the grounds that it violates the Second and 14^th amendments to the U.S. Constitution and issued an order barring the state from enforcing it.

That order, however, was stayed for 30 days, giving the state time to file an appeal before it takes effect.

In a 168-page opinion released Friday afternoon, Judge Stephen McGlynn sided with plaintiffs in the case who argued the assault-style weapons banned under the law are commonly used for legal purposes such as self-defense.

“What is particularly disturbing is that the prohibition of weapons that are commonly owned and used by citizens are now banned, depriving citizens of a principal means to defend themselves and their property in situations where a handgun or shotgun alone would not be the citizen’s preferred arm,” McGlynn wrote.

In March, before the case went to trial, McGlynn issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the law, saying the plaintiffs challenging the law were likely to prevail on the merits of the case.

But the 7^th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision, and in July the U.S. Supreme declined to review it – along with several other cases challenging the law – and remanded all the cases back to district courts for full proceedings.

The case before McGlynn was the subject of a week-long trial in September. Two other cases, each with multiple sets of plaintiffs, are pending before district court judges in the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago.

Read more: State wraps up case in challenge to assault weapons ban

Meanwhile, a three-judge panel of the 7^th Circuit is scheduled to hear oral arguments on Tuesday, Nov. 12, in a case challenging Cook County’s local assault weapons ban.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul did not immediately comment on McGlynn’s ruling. Gov. JB Pritzker issued a statement saying he expects the attorney general will file “an immediate appeal” and for the law to be “upheld through this process.”

“The Protect Illinois Communities Act was the result of hundreds of hours of deliberation between legal experts, legislators, and advocates, and it makes Illinois a safer place for everyone,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Despite those who value weapons of war more than public safety, this law was enacted to and has protected Illinoisans from the constant fear of being gunned down in places where they ought to feel secure.”

Gun rights groups like the Firearms Policy Coalition, meanwhile, issued statements celebrating the ruling.

“We are gratified that the Court properly found that these bans violate the constitutionally protected rights of Illinois residents and visitors. As we clearly showed at trial, PICA fails even under the Seventh Circuit’s misguided test that conflicts with binding Supreme Court precedent,” said FPC President Brandon Combs, noting the group was “hopeful” the U.S. Supreme Court would strike down similar bans.

Editor’s note: This story was updated with a quote from Gov. JB Pritzker and the Firearms Policy Coalition.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. 

This article first appeared on Capitol News Illinois and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.