This morning, the Illinois Supreme Court released their final decision in the state’s appeal of a Macon County ruling striking down Pritzker’s “Protect Illinois Communities Act” gun ban. Earlier, a Macon County judge ruled the act unconstitutional on its face, a ruling that the Governor and Attorney General largely ignored for publicity (and Illinois Gun Dealer Licensing) purposes. However, the ruling did prevent the State Police from conducting enforcement actions against individual gun owners.
With today’s 4-3 decision, that restraint from enforcement goes out the window. The law is back in full effect and no doubt the Illinois State Police will likely go after a few of the folks who bought guns and magazines as well as a few of the gun shops who continued to sell after the Macon County ruling was handed down.
Justice Rocheford authored the decision. You remember her, right?
That’s her from DURING last year’s campaign running for the Illinois Supreme Court. Recall that JB Pritzker (through one of his entities), one of the named defendants in this suit, donated a million dollars to her campaign. Two of the three other defendants donated something approaching a million dollars as well. Deets here.
Here’s the meat of their decision:
First, we hold that the exemptions neither deny equal protection nor constitute
special legislation because plaintiffs have not sufficiently alleged that they are
similarly situated to and treated differently from the exempt classes. Second,
plaintiffs expressly waived in the circuit court any independent claim that the
restrictions impermissibly infringe the second amendment. Third, plaintiffs’ failure
to cross-appeal is a jurisdictional bar to renewing their three-readings claim.
Accordingly, we reverse the circuit court and enter judgment for defendants on the
equal protection and special legislation claims…
When asked for comment, Dan Caulkins said, “It’s the finest court money can buy.”
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