Supreme Court leaves Illinois assault weapons ban in place as it sidesteps new cases on the right to bear arms
The Supreme Court avoided taking up a series of cases on the right to bear arms and left in place an Illinois law that bans assault-style weapons such as the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, which has been used in various high-profile mass shootings.
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday avoided taking up a series of new cases on the scope of the right to bear arms and left in place an Illinois law that bans assault-style weapons such as the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, which has been used in various high-profile mass shootings.
The decision not to hear the multiple cases challenging the Illinois law means it remains in effect. Litigation over the Illinois ban and similar laws enacted by other states is ongoing, and the issue is likely to return to the justices.
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 accused domestic abusers 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.
The court has strongly backed the right to bear arms under the Constitution's Second Amendment, including in a major ruling in 2022, but the recent ruling indicated that some longstanding laws can still survive. The 2022 decision led to a wave of new challenges to existing gun restrictions.
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.
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