In a divided decision that will be appealed by both proponents and opponents of gun rights, a federal court has invalidated New Jersey’s ban on Colt AR-15 rifles but maintained its ban on large-capacity ammo magazines. No one is happy.
Peter G. Sheridan, a United States District Judge, ruled in favor of gun owners in New Jersey who had challenged a statute passed by their state in 1990 that banned “assault firearms.” Although over sixty semi-automatic rifles and shotguns are prohibited by law, Sheridan narrowed his judgment to the Colt AR-15 rifles as that was the weapon with which the Court has been provided the most information in arguments and briefs.
Any blanket prohibition on guns often used for self-defense would be unlawful, according to Sheridan, according to a Bruen decision by the United States Supreme Court in 2022. When the conservative majority on the court proclaimed a right to weapons in Bruen, it shook up gun control nationwide. Despite this, Sheridan was understandably hesitant to let gun owners buy Colt AR-15s, pointing to the number of horrific shootings that had occurred with AR-style rifles and other weapons.
A federal court ruled on Tuesday that although the prohibition on AR-15 rifles in New Jersey is illegal, the state’s limit on magazines with more than ten rounds meets constitutional scrutiny. Following Sheridan’s decision, the state attorney general and those who support the Second Amendment are considering filing appeals. The president and Congress, according to Sheridan, should do more to reduce gun violence in the country. Laws like New Jersey’s exist in nine more states plus the DC, encompassing not just large cities like Los Angeles and New York but also places where horrific shootings like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, have occurred.
Legal challenges to assault weapon restrictions in several states have referenced the Bruen ruling. In response to the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in 2013, a historic gun control law was approved in Connecticut. This law outlaws assault weapons, such as certain AR-15-style rifles and magazines with huge capacity. However, a prominent gun rights organization has since challenged this law. The National Association for Gun Rights asked a federal judge last year to put a stay on the legislation while litigation is ongoing.
The judge denied their request.
The group is now appealing the decision.
