Supreme Court turns away, for now, challenges to state ban on assault-style weapons
USA TodayJUN 25 2024
SCOTUS Declines Involvement in Several Gun Cases
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The Facts
The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on Tuesday declined to hear a challenge to Illinois' assault weapon ban and sent to the lower courts several other Second Amendment-related cases.
In addition to the Illinois law, the justices sent a challenge to a ban on drug users possessing guns back to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and also asked lower courts to reconsider several challenges to laws prohibiting people convicted of crimes to own guns.
SCOTUS wants the lower courts to revisit cases involving the gun rights of people who have committed crimes because of its recent ruling in US v. Rahimi, which gave lower courts the leeway to preserve gun laws even if they don't have a historic analogue as previously required by a 2022 SCOTUS ruling.
The Spin
Left narrative
For now SCOTUS is showing some restraint related to the Second Amendment despite its recent history of mostly weakening gun restrictions other than in the Rahimi case. So even while Thomas is eager to take cases like this so the conservative-leaning court might rule all guns are protected, at least the lower courts can weigh in with Rahimi as guidance.
Right narrative
SCOTUS can work around Thomas' objections for now, but eventually it will have to hear these cases and it will have to make a stand against wanna-be left-wing gun confiscators. Using the term assault weapon is a scare tactic used as an excuse to violate the Constitution. After the states reinforce Second Amendment protections on these arms, SCOTUS must do the same.
Metaculus Prediction
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