US Supreme Court upholds temporary ban on assault weapons in Illinois

The US Supreme Court has refused to temporarily halt an Illinois law that prohibits the sale of assault-style weapons and other firearms and accessories. Under the law, current owners of restricted items are required to register them by January 1st. The law has faced legal challenges from a gun rights group and a gun shop owner, but their attempts to block its implementation have been consistently rejected by lower courts. The law went into effect in January, resulting in an immediate halt to the sale of restricted guns. It is one of the strictest gun control laws in the country, banning the sale of specific brands and types of weapons, as well as large capacity ammunition magazines and various accessories and attachments. However, there are exceptions for law enforcement officers, and individuals who already possess assault-style weapons are allowed to keep them provided they register with the state police. The law was enacted following a mass shooting in Highland Park in July 2022, where seven people were killed and nearly 50 injured. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, made the ban on assault-style weapons a key legislative promise in response to this tragedy. The plaintiffs in the case - gun shop owner Robert Bevis and the National Association for Gun Rights - argue that the law violates the Constitution. So far, they have been unsuccessful in challenging the law in state and federal courts. While they continue to appeal to the Supreme Court, they requested a temporary halt in the law's enforcement. The court denied their request without providing a reason. In a separate development, the individual charged in the Highland Park mass shooting, Robert Crimo III, announced in court this week that he would represent himself at his trial, which is scheduled to begin in February.