The Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision striking down New Jersey’s restrictions on semiautomatic rifles classified as assault weapons and magazines holding 10 or more rounds. The ruling represents the first time a federal appeals court has invalidated a state-level assault weapons ban, distinguishing it from prior judicial outcomes on the same issue.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, a Democrat whose office defended the law, characterized the decision as both unfortunate and legally flawed. She noted that other federal circuit courts have reached different conclusions and stated that assault weapons and large-capacity magazines contribute to mass shooting incidents. Davenport indicated the state would explore additional legal options.
The decision expands upon a prior ruling from July 2024, when a federal judge found the state’s specific ban on AR-15s unconstitutional while upholding the magazine capacity restriction. According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 10 states along with the District of Columbia maintain assault weapons bans, while multiple jurisdictions cap magazine capacity at 10 rounds.
The case arrives as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to address whether semiautomatic rifle bans comply with Second Amendment protections later this year. This timing follows a separate recent decision by another federal appeals court upholding Illinois’s semiautomatic weapons restrictions. Legal scholars, including UCLA law professor Adam Winkler, have suggested the ruling may signal the Supreme Court’s likely approach to similar restrictions. The decision also follows recent Supreme Court victories for Second Amendment advocates, including rulings involving marijuana users and gun ownership eligibility and laws governing firearms on private property.
Originally reported by The Guardian. Read the full story →