Federal Court Rules New Jersey’s AR-15 Ban Unconstitutional – One America News Network
OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:28 PM – Wednesday, July 31, 2024
In a Tuesday ruling, a New Jersey Federal Judge ruled that the state’s ban on AR-15 rifles is unconstitutional.
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U.S. District Judge Peter Sheridan ruled in favor of less gun restriction based on previous Supreme Court rulings in firearm cases. One that he specifically mentioned as impactful in his ruling was the 2022 Bruen decision which expanded gun rights.
“Where the Supreme Court has set forth the law of our nation, as a lower court, I am bound to follow it,” Sheridan said.
The ruling follows lawsuits filed by the Association of New Jersey Rifle and the Pistol Clubs and Firearms Policy Coalition. The groups argued that New Jersey’s ban on “assault” weapons violates the Second Amendment as well as the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Bruen case.
In his 69-page opinion, Sheridan also suggested that Congress and the president could be doing more to limit gun violence.
“It is hard to accept the Supreme Court’s pronouncements that certain firearms policy choices are ‘off the table’ when frequently, radical individuals possess and use these same firearms for evil purposes,” Sheridan wrote.
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin disagrees with the judge’s ruling, announcing he was “disappointed” by the outcome.
“The AR-15 is an instrument designed for warfare that inflicts catastrophic mass injuries, and is the weapon of choice for the epidemic of mass shootings that have ravaged so many communities across the nation,” he stated.
New Jersey, which is led by Democrat Governor Phil Murphy (D-N.J.), has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.
Brandon Combs, president of the Firearms Policy Coalition, advocates against the previous ruling of the banned firearm in the state.
“Bans on so-called “assault weapons” are immoral and unconstitutional. FPC will continue to fight forward until all of these bans are eliminated throughout the United States,” Combs said.
Although Judge Sheridan ruled against the previous ban on the AR-15, he did find the state’s limit of 10 round magazines to be constitutional.
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