On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a gun control law in Illinois that bans certain semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines.
The decision not to hear the cases challenging the law means that it will remain in effect for the time being. Litigation will continue at lower courts and may return to the Supreme Court.
Justice Samuel Alito publicly dissented. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that he thinks the court should take up the question of what types of weapons can be restricted (via NBC News):
Meanwhile, the court sent several other gun cases back to lower courts for further review in light of its recent ruling that upheld a federal law that prevents people accused of domestic abuse from possessing firearms. In doing so, the court sidestepped adding a new gun case to its docket for the following term, which begins in October.
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Among the cases the court sent back to lower courts was a challenge to a law that bars users of illegal drugs from possessing firearms, which is the same law that Hunter Biden was recently convicted under.
In 2022, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the case New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. vs. Bruen, which struck down a gun control law in New York. As a result, many left wing states, like California and Maryland, signed gun control measures in response.
In May, Townhall reported how the Supreme Court announced that it would not hear a challenge to a law in Maryland that bans so-called “assault weapons.” This includes weapons akin to the M16 rifle and AR-15.
Plaintiffs, which includes commercial firearms dealers, gun rights groups and several Maryland residents, argued that the law violated the Second Amendment. According to The Hill, the justices declined to hear a challenge to the ban in 2017. Then, the justices ordered a lower court to revisit the case in 2022. The court has not yet weighed in on the matter.
In April, the Supreme Court announced that it would hear a case surrounding President Joe Biden’s policies cracking down on “ghost guns,” which Townhall covered.