By Blake Wolf, OAN Staff
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 12:28 PM
A federal judge in New Jersey ruled Tuesday 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 loosening gun laws, citing previous Supreme Court decisions in firearms cases, including the 2022 Bruen decision that expanded gun rights, which he cited as particularly influential.
“If the Supreme Court sets the law of our country, then as a lower court I have an obligation to follow it,” Sheridan said.
The ruling follows a lawsuit brought by the New Jersey Association of Rifle and Pistol Clubs and the Firearms Policy Coalition, which argued that New Jersey’s ban on “assault” weapons violates the Second Amendment and the Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen v.
In his 69-page opinion, Sheridan also suggested Congress and the president could do more to limit gun violence.
“It is difficult to accept the Supreme Court’s holding that a particular firearms policy choice is ‘out of choice,’ when radicalized individuals frequently own and use those same firearms for nefarious purposes,” Sheridan wrote.
Meanwhile, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin dissented from the judge’s ruling, saying he was “disappointed” with the outcome.
“The AR-15 is a weapon designed for war to cause devastating mass injuries and has been the weapon of choice in the epidemic of mass shootings that has devastated many communities across the nation,” he said.
New Jersey, led by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy (DN.J.), has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation.
Brandon Combs, president of the Firearms Policy Coalition, has spoken out against previous rulings banning firearms in the state.
“So-called ‘assault weapons’ bans are immoral and unconstitutional, and FPC will continue to fight until these bans are repealed across the United States,” Combs said.
Judge Sheridan ruled against a previous ban on AR-15s, but found the state’s 10-round magazine limit to be constitutional.
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