A federal judge in Illinois has granted a temporary injunction to block the enforcement of a gun law to ban some semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines.
Stephen Patrick McGlynn, who is a judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, appointed under the Trump Administration, issued the ruling on Friday afternoon, saying that the court must take into account the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, Fox News noted.
The ban, which was signed in January by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, calls for penalties for people who do not “carry or possess, make, sell, deliver, import or purchase any assault weapon or .50 caliber rifle.”
The recent order stipulates that any citizen who legally owns a gun under the law must register it with the Illinois State Police.
In addition, the measure stipulates legal sanctions for persons who sell, manufacture, deliver, import, carry or purchase any assault weapon accessory or .50 caliber cartridge. Any kit or tool to increase the rate of fire of a semi-automatic weapon is also prohibited.
The Gun Owners of America (GOA) organization, the plaintiff in the case, said in a statement that the ruling should send a message to Governor Pritzker, and noted that the fight continues.
“Governor Pritzker and his anti-gun cabal in the legislature thought they could push the Second Amendment forward, and this ruling makes it clear that they abused their authority and infringed on the rights of their citizens. We look forward to continuing this fight,” said GOA Vice President Erich Pratt.
Judge McGlynn wrote in his ruling that he does not attempt to minimize the harm caused when a firearm is used for an illegal purpose, but noted that the law limited the Second Amendment rights of people in Illinois.
“(The Illinois Communities Protection Act) not only regulated the rights of individuals to defend themselves; restricted that right and, in some cases, eliminated it entirely by criminalizing the buying and selling of more than 190 ‘weapons,’” McGlynn added.
Judge McGlynn’s ruling came shortly after United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Judge Lindsay Jenkins, a Presidential Biden appointee, refused to block enforcement of the law.