A federal appeals court has ruled that New Jersey's restrictions on assault firearms and ammunition magazines holding 10 or more rounds are unconstitutional.
The decision by the 3rd U. S.
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Circuit Court of Appeals is the first time a federal appeals court has overturned a state-level ban on such firearms.
The ruling comes just before the U. S.
Supreme Court is set to evaluate whether semiautomatic rifle bans violate the Second Amendment this fall.
It expands upon a July 2024 decision by a federal judge, who initially found the state's specific ban on AR-15s unconstitutional but preserved the restriction on larger capacity magazines.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport expressed disagreement with the judicial outcome, stating that the state is evaluating its legal options.
"Every other federal circuit court to consider the issue has come out the other way," said Davenport.
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She emphasized the public safety role of the restrictions following a rising number of mass casualties nationwide.
"Assault weapons and large capacity magazines play a dangerous role in the modern epidemic of mass shootings, and New Jersey acted reasonably and lawfully in restricting them.
We are considering our options," Davenport added.
Legal analysts suggest the unexpected ruling could signal a broader shift in how federal courts evaluate state-level firearm restrictions under current constitutional interpretations.
"What this third circuit opinion shows is that there are very few gun laws that are safe from being struck down right now," said Adam Winkler, law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Winkler noted that the appellate decision diverged from prior rulings that consistently upheld similar weapon bans across different jurisdictions, and "may be foretelling the supreme court's coming opinion on assault weapons bans."
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The ruling follows recent Supreme Court decisions that expanded Second Amendment protections, including a June 18 decision concerning firearm ownership rights for marijuana users and a subsequent ruling striking down a Hawaii property gun restriction.
