The Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it will not hear challenges to an assault weapons ban in Illinois, effectively leaving the law in place for now.
The Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it will not yet review challenges to an Illinois ban on certain types of semi-automatic weapons, attachments and magazines, effectively leaving the law in place while lower courts decide the cases.
In its final order list before going on a summer recess, the Court denied petitions to hear six different cases over the so-called «assault weapons ban», prompting a statement from Justice Clarence Thomas.
Thomas noted that the Supreme Court was presented the case after the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit already rejected a request for a preliminary injunction against the law. That court held that the AR-15, among the most popular semi-automatic rifles in the country, does not enjoy Second Amendment protection.
«The Seventh Circuit’s decision illustrates why this Court must provide more guidance on which weapons the Second Amendment covers», Thomas concluded, adding that «if the Seventh Circuit ultimately allows Illinois to ban America’s most common civilian rifle, we can – and should – review that decision once the cases reach a final judgment.
