Second Amendment Law Center Needs Help Funding Amicus Briefs in Barnett v. Raoul (Illinois Gun Ban Challenge)

The US District Court for the Southern District of Illinois granted a preliminary injunction in the 2ALC-supported case of Barnett v. Raoul and three other related lawsuits in Illinois that challenge the constitutionality of the state’s unconstitutional new Protect Illinois Communities Act gun ban.

Among other things, Governor Pritzker’s PICA law bans the sale or transfer of any semi-automatic firearm designated by the state as an “assault weapon” and bans certain magazines based on their capacity. The PICA law is so restrictive that many Illinois sheriffs have refused to implement it. The law has prompted multiple lawsuits challenging it, including these particular cases which successfully fought for and received a preliminary injunction blocking their enforcement.

All four of these Southern District of Illinois federal Second Amendment cases have been consolidated in the Seventh Circuit, which has ordered all of the parties to submit their legal briefs on an expedited basis.

The Second Amendment Law Center needs your support now to fund the briefs supporting the challengers. We’ve won in getting the injunctions issued and believe strongly that with the Bruen decision from last summer, we’ll win on the merits.

The deadline for the State of Illinois and the other respondents to file their briefs was this past Monday. Amicus briefs supporting the state are due June 12.

Legal briefs by the plaintiffs who are challenging the law are due June 19 and are limited to 25 pages. The state’s reply brief and all amicus briefs supporting the plaintiffs are due June 26. The oral argument for all four cases is scheduled for June 29 in Chicago.

This shortened timetable is almost unheard of in the federal courts. It really puts pressure on the lawyers writing the briefs.

Coordinating an amicus brief campaign usually takes months, so 2ALC is hard at work. 2ALC has recruited multiple friends of the court to write amicus briefs supporting the four cases challenging the law, including law enforcement and police agencies, state associations like the California Rifle & Pistol Association, Gun Owners of California, as well as other pro-gun-owner states and groups.

2ALC has put together some impressive and experienced lawyers like Steve Halbrook to write briefs on an array of topics. Because the plaintiffs’ brief can only be 25 pages long, these amicus briefs can present the court with deeper analyses and cover topics that plaintiffs don’t have room to cover in their briefs.

Well-written amicus briefs can make the difference between success and failure. But we need your help to get this done.

The state knows the importance of amicus support. All of the anti-gun usual suspects will file amicus briefs supporting the state. That will include Everytown, Giffords, and Brady among others. We also expect anti-gun blue state Attorneys General to weigh in, because they want to be able to pass similar gun control laws in their states, so our efforts here will have national implications.

There are several other cases in Illinois challenging PICA where courts have ruled against the plaintiffs and denied their requests for an injunction. Those rulings have also been appealed. Some of the cases are already briefed, but the argument on those cases is also set for June 29 in Chicago.

PLEASE sign up below for updates from 2ALC, and contribute today if you can to help support the plaintiffs in this critical case. Help get proven results in our fight to save our rights and our guns. Because tomorrow, we could be fighting just as hard to save your rights and your guns in your state. Please GIVE TODAY.