Weekend Edition | Appeals Court Keep Illinois’ Gun Ban in Place as Case Proceeds

Illinois in Focus

(The Center Square) – Illinois’ gun and magazine ban will stay in effect pending the outcome in the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, the appeals court ruled Thursday. Illinois banned the sale and possession of more than 170 semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities in January 2023. Lawsuits in federal court followed, challenging the ban based on the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms and other grounds. Four cases in the Southern District of Illinois were consolidated into Barnett, et al. v. Raoul, et al. After preliminary issues went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Clarence Thomas said the case was not ripe because it was not on final judgement. The Southern District of Illinois consequently found the law unconstitutional. Judge Stephen McGlynn issued an injunction against the law last month but put a 30 day hold on his order. That stay would have lifted Dec. 9.