Today the US Supreme Court denied the appeals from Illinois concerning the so-called “Protect Illinois Communities Act.” Before you get too depressed, take a few minutes to read Justice Thomas’ statement.
If that’s not a clear warning to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals to get their heads out of their asses, I’m not sure what is.
Justice Thomas wrote, “In my view, Illinois’ ban is ‘highly suspect because it broadly prohibits common semiautomatic firearms used for lawful purposes,’” adding that it is difficult to see how the Seventh Circuit could have concluded that the most widely owned semiautomatic rifles are not “Arms” protected by the Second Amendment.
The bottom line? Thomas’ statement clearly lays down the gauntlet for the Seventh Circuit. Get it right or face a future Supreme Court review and reversal.
All eyes now turn to the Southern District of Illinois federal court, where four consolidated gun ban challenges are expected to move forward with a bench trial scheduled for September 16 in East St. Louis.
Here’s the relevant pages from today’s order from the US Supreme Court.
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