A 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.
The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit overturns a lower court decision that found the ban unconstitutional. The 2-1 appellate decision found that the Illinois law does not violate the Second Amendment, and its restrictions are "consistent with the principles that underpin our Nation's tradition of firearm regulation."
"Whether to adopt them is thus a decision reposed in our elected representatives, and we reverse," the appeals court said.
The majority opinion also pushes back on claims made by the plaintiffs that semiautomatic weapons are not at fault for mass shootings.
"The undisputed record evidence undercuts that claim, showing that the presence of ******* ault weapons and large-capacity magazines is strongly correlated with the severity of the societal problem," the opinion states.
The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit overturns a lower court decision that found the ban unconstitutional. The 2-1 appellate decision found that the Illinois law does not violate the Second Amendment, and its restrictions are "consistent with the principles that underpin our Nation's tradition of firearm regulation."
"Whether to adopt them is thus a decision reposed in our elected representatives, and we reverse," the appeals court said.
The majority opinion also pushes back on claims made by the plaintiffs that semiautomatic weapons are not at fault for mass shootings.
"The undisputed record evidence undercuts that claim, showing that the presence of ******* ault weapons and large-capacity magazines is strongly correlated with the severity of the societal problem," the opinion states.
18 days ago
