A Must-Read Court Decision

An Illinois District Court struck down portions of the Illinois law prohibiting the ownership of so-called "assault weapons" and "large-capacity" magazines.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, in the NRA-supported case Barnett v. Raoul, found on November 8 that the two provisions of the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA) were unconstitutional under the Second Amendment and issued an order barring the state from enforcing the bans. The court then stayed the ruling for 30 days in anticipation of an appeal by the state.

In the lengthy court opinion, District Court Judge Stephen McGlynn, a Donald Trump appointee, explained how he followed the process set by the U.S. Supreme Court in its 2022 ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen as the basis for the ruling.

"Sadly, there are those who seek to usher in a sort of post-Constitution era where the citizens' individual rights are only as important as they are convenient to a ruling class," the opinion stated. "Seeking ancient laws that may partner well with a present-day infringement on a right proclaimed in the Bill of Rights without reading it in conjunction with the aforementioned history is nonsense. .....