Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to Maryland ban on rifles known as assault weapons
Source: ABC News/AP
May 20, 2024, 10:14 AM
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday declined, for now, to hear a challenge to a Maryland law banning certain semi-automatic firearms commonly referred to as assault weapons.
The court did not elaborate on the denial, as is typical. It would have been unusual for the justices to take up a case at this point, since a lower court is still weighing it. The Supreme Court is also considering an appeal over a similar law in Illinois. It did not act Monday on that case, which could be another avenue to take up the issue.
The Maryland plaintiffs, including gun rights groups, argued that semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15 are among the most popular firearms in the country and banning them runs afoul of the Second Amendment, especially after a landmark Supreme Court decision expanding gun rights in 2022. That ruling changed the test for evaluating whether gun laws are constitutional and has upended gun laws around the country.
Maryland's attorney general pointed to mass shootings carried out using the weapons. The state argued they can be banned because they are highly dangerous, military-style weapons. The law has a history before the Supreme Court: The justices declined to hear another challenge in 2017, before the solidification of its current conservative majority. Five years later, though, the high courts current roster of justices ordered lower courts to take another look at the measure after handing down the 2022 ruling.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/supreme-court-declines-hear-challenge-maryland-ban-rifles-110400362
brewens
(13,865 posts)what we're talking about. You say that and here come the idiotic NRA babbling points! LOL
No, I don't have to be able to identify and AR-15 hammer spring blindfolded to have an opinion on guns! LOL
Traurigkeit
(918 posts)So they let one or two things pass to calm the general public
They throw a bone once in awhile to maintain an appearance of propriety ... posers
BlueKota
(2,110 posts)they haven't been bought by the Reich wing, so they can "claim," they're neutral when they declare Trump has immunity.
InstantGratification
(195 posts)They passed on this one because it is still being litigated in a lower court. Also, there are a couple of other case, one in Illinois, that are also moving through the courts. They could choose to take up anyone of them, no need for them to stir the hornets nest again this close to an election. I think they are still smarting from the blow back of the Dobbs decision.