A federal judge has ruled that New Jersey’s ban on AR-15 rifles is unconstitutional, while upholding the state’s ban on magazines holding more than ten rounds.
US District Judge Peter Sheridan issued a 69-page opinion on Tuesday, explaining that recent Supreme Court rulings compelled him to strike down the AR-15 ban. Specifically, Sheridan referenced the court’s decision in New York State Rifle Association v. Bruen, which set a new precedent that requires state gun control laws to align with the “historical tradition” of firearm regulation in the country.
While Sheridan disagreed with the AR-15 ban based on Supreme Court guidelines, he also expressed criticism of the Court’s stance.
“It is hard to accept the Supreme Court’s pronouncements that certain firearms policy choices are ‘off the table’ when frequently, radical individuals possess and use these same firearms for evil purposes,” he wrote.
“Where the Supreme Court has set for the law of our Nation, as a lower court, I am bound to follow it… This principle — combined with the reckless inaction of our governmental leaders to address the mass shooting tragedy afflicting our Nation — necessitates the Court’s decision,” Sheridan added.
New Jersey is known for having some of the strictest gun control laws in the country. Governor Phil Murphy signed the magazine capacity limit into law in 2019 and implemented measures in 2022 allowing the attorney general to use the state’s public nuisance law against gun manufacturers.
Murphy criticized the ruling, calling it “dangerous.”
“For too long, these weapons — which belong in a war zone rather than on a New Jersey street — have senselessly torn mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons away from their loved ones,” he said in a statement, according to ABC News.
Despite criticism from state officials, Firearms Policy Coalition, one of the plaintiffs in the case, applauded the decision. The organization’s president, Brandon Combs, stated “Bans on so-called ‘assault weapons’ are immoral and unconstitutional. FPC will continue to fight forward until all of these bans are eliminated throughout the United States.”
