After the recent refusal of two other judges to block similar cases involving the “Illinois Assault Weapons Ban,” it was a relief to see a downstate judge grant a statewide preliminary injunction today. The bill is broad and goes after much more than what looks like a scary AR-15. There is a lot of ambiguous language to it that will leave the law open to interpretation, which will lead to nothing but problems for the law-abiding citizen.
Attorney Thomas Maag said, “Much of the statute is so vague and ambiguous not even laypeople, probably not many experts, can agree on what it purports to ban.”
A little while ago, this popped up on Facebook; finally, it was good news.
Judge Stephen McGlynn in East St. Louis issued the injunction this morning. “Plaintiffs have satisfied their burden for a preliminary injunction,” McGlynn wrote. “They have shown irreparable harm with no adequate remedy at law, a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits, that the public interest is in favor of the relief, and the balance of harm weighs in their favor. Therefore, the Plaintiffs’ motions for preliminary injunction are GRANTED. Defendants are ENJOINED from enforcing Illinois statutes 720 ILCS 5/24-1.9(b) and (c), and 720 ILCS 5/24-1.10, along with the PICA amended provisions set forth in 735 ILCS 5/24-1(a), including subparagraphs (11), (14), (15), and (16), statewide during the pendency of this litigation until the Court can address the merits.”
I contacted Chris from C4 Gun Store, who said, “Yes, we are extremely happy for the injunction to have been issued. We have taken a major hit over the last few months, and hopefully, this will boost sales.”
I know a lot of guys have been panicking trying to get items like magazines and parts, so at least for now, this is good news. It will probably take a while for the big guys to change their rules and ship again, but as of today, places like C4 Gun Store will ship statewide, and reports are coming out that other stores in the state are ready to go.
We all know this will get appealed by the state to the Seventh Circuit Court, where a similar challenge is pending, but for now, it’s a huge win for the Second Amendment and the gun owners of Illinois.