New Jersey's assault weapons ban declared unconstitutional by U.S. Court of Appeals
A United States appeals court ruled Friday that New Jersey's ban on assault rifles is unconstitutional.
The decision out of the Third Circuit in Philadelphia marks the first time a federal appeals court declared the Garden State's ban violated the Second Amendment.
New Jersey has long had some of the nation's strictest gun laws, including weapons bans and magazine capacity restrictions, some of which have been on the books since 1990.
Gun rights advocates have long argued against them.
The federal appeals court voted 10-5 to strike down the assault weapons and capacity ban, a decision being jeered by some and cheered by others.
"This ruling protects the rights of millions of responsible gun owners in the Garden State and serves as another benchmark in our efforts to dismantle gun control across the country," said John Commerford with the National Rifle Association.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill released a statement calling the decision "dangerous, wrong," and "completely out of step with parents and the people of the Garden State."
"I served nearly 10 years in the Navy and qualified as an expert shot – I'm familiar with firearms. It's because of that experience that I know weapons of war do not belong on the streets of New Jersey," the governor said. "Our commonsense gun safety laws have saved lives and protected communities – and shootings have declined for the last three years. We will not back down from extreme, right-wing attempts to weaken the laws of New Jersey."
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said the decision "is as unfortunate as it is legally incorrect."
"We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to enforce our other firearms laws and treating gun violence like the public health crisis that it is," Davenport said.
The U.S. Supreme Court in June agreed to hear challenges to AR-15-style rifle bans, including in Connecticut, where laws were tightened in response to the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
