{"id":2328642,"date":"2024-08-21T17:39:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T21:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pro-gun-group-seeks-supreme-court-review-of-maryland-assault-weapons-ban-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-21T17:43:20","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T21:43:20","slug":"pro-gun-group-seeks-supreme-court-review-of-maryland-assault-weapons-ban-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pro-gun-group-seeks-supreme-court-review-of-maryland-assault-weapons-ban-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro-gun group seeks Supreme Court review of Maryland \u2018assault weapons\u2019 ban &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpro-gun-group-seeks-supreme-court-review-of-maryland-assault-weapons-ban-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2328642&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pro-gun-rights-economist-disinvited-from-committee-hearing-by-oregon-senate-democrats\/\" title=\"Pro-Gun Rights Economist Disinvited From Committee Hearing by Oregon Senate Democrats\">pro-gun organization<\/a>, the Firearms Policy \u2063Coalition (FPC), \u2064is seeking \u200ca review from the Supreme Court \u200bregarding Maryland&#8217;s 2013 ban on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arkansas-lawmakers-approve-bill-to-block-federal-gun-restrictions-gov-says-hell-sign\/\" title=\"Arkansas Lawmakers Approve Bill to Block Federal Gun Restrictions, Gov. Says He\u2019ll Sign\">assault-style firearms<\/a>. This law categorizes numerous semiautomatic weapons as &#8220;assault weapons&#8221; and has\u200c been upheld\u2063 by lower courts, including \u200ba recent split decision from the U.S. Court \u2062of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. The FPC argues that \u200dthe Supreme Court should clarify how lower courts interpret laws concerning &#8220;assault weapons&#8221; in relation \u2062to the Second Amendment.<\/p>\n<p>The Maryland ban was\u200c enacted following the tragic 2012\u200d Sandy Hook \u200bElementary School shooting, where an \u200dAR-15-style rifle\u200c was used. Despite half of the appeals court affirming the law, dissenting judges asserted that the Second Amendment should not be viewed as a &#8220;second-class right,&#8221;\u2063 emphasizing the rights\u200c of individuals to \u2062possess weapons defined as &#8220;Arms.&#8221; The \u2062case, known \u200bas Snope v. Brown, has bounced between the courts since a 2022 landmark Supreme Court ruling in a related matter, Bruen v. New York Rifle &#038; Pistol Assn.,\u2063 which cast doubt on the constitutionality of such bans. This legal challenge highlights the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elon-musk-can-use-the-first-amendment-to-make-twitter-open-to-free-speech-again\/\" title=\"Elon Musk Can Use The First Amendment To Make Twitter Open To Free Speech Again\">ongoing national debate<\/a> \u200cover gun rights and regulations in the United States.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Pro-gun group seeks Supreme Court review of Maryland &lsquo;assault weapons&rsquo; ban<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1725377\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A pro-gun group asked the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Supreme Court<\/a> on Wednesday to weigh a challenge to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maryland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Maryland<\/a>&lsquo;s ban on assault-style firearms, commonly referred to as &ldquo;assault weapons,&rdquo; after lower courts rejected efforts to overturn the state&rsquo;s 2013 law.<\/p>\n<p>The Firearms Policy Coalition is fighting against the 2013 law that classifies numerous semiautomatic weapons as illegal &ldquo;assault weapons.&rdquo; Earlier this month, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit split 10-5 in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3113493\/pro-gun-group-plans-supreme-court-fight-over-maryland-assault-weapons-ban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>ruling that upheld the law<\/a> despite efforts by pro-gun litigants to utilize a recent landmark Second Amendment ruling that some believe would result in the nullification of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/another-wave-of-portland-police-quit-amid-massive-spike-in-shootings-and-stabbings-fire-dept-responding-to-10-homeless-tent-fires-a-day\/\" title=\"Another Wave Of Portland Police Quit Amid Massive Spike In Shootings And Stabbings; Fire Dept. Responding To 10+ Homeless Tent Fires A Day\">gun control laws<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FILE &ndash; Three variations of the AR-15 are displayed at the California Department of Justice in Sacramento, California, on Aug. 15, 2012. (AP Photo\/Rich Pedroncelli, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Through this case, the Court can and should make explicit how lower courts should address unconstitutional bans on so-called &lsquo;assault weapons&rsquo; and similar laws,&rdquo; FPC president Brandon Combs said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The Maryland law was initially passed in response to the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, where a shooter used a Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle to kill 20 children and six adults. Vice President Kamala Harris&rsquo;s running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), a proponent of stricter gun laws, has touted his belief that civilians should not be able to possess weapons like the ones he trained with during his time in the National Guard.<\/p>\n<p>But roughly 1-in-20 people in the United States own an AR-15,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/documents\/41d170dc-1838-4772-a4e4-29d268264e12.pdf?itid=lk_inline_manual_2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a>&nbsp;to a 2023&nbsp;<em>Washington Post<\/em>-Ipsos poll. That data suggest that with a U.S. population of 260.8 million adults, around 16 million residents own an AR-15, making it the most popular rifle in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>The challenge to the Maryland law, known as <em>Snope v. Brown<\/em>, has cycled between appeals courts and the Supreme Court ever since the 2022 landmark Supreme Court ruling <em>Bruen v. New York Rifle &amp; Pistol Assn.<\/em>, which set a test for courts to prove a gun control measure is consistent with the nation&rsquo;s &ldquo;history and tradition&rdquo; of firearms regulations.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after the 6-3 majority ruling in <em>Bruen <\/em>was released, the Supreme Court remanded the case back to the 4th Circuit for further consideration in light of the new &ldquo;historical analogue&rdquo; precedent. The case, previously known as <em>Bianchi v. Frosh<\/em>, again rose up to the nine justices earlier this year, but the Supreme Court denied review, citing the then-pending dispute before the 4th Circuit.<\/p>\n<p>Circuit Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, wrote in the court&rsquo;s majority&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/assets.nationbuilder.com\/firearmspolicycoalition\/pages\/5854\/attachments\/original\/1722968222\/2024.08.06_114_OPINION.pdf?1722968222\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">opinion<\/a>&nbsp;that the weapons covered under the ban are &ldquo;designed for sustained combat operations that are ill-suited and disproportionate to the need for self-defense.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But the five dissenting judges on the appeals court argued that the Second Amendment is not a &ldquo;second-class right.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Appellants seek to own weapons that are indisputably &lsquo;Arms&rsquo; within the plain text of the Second Amendment,&rdquo; Circuit Judge Julius Richardson, a Trump appointee, wrote in the dissent. &ldquo;While history and tradition support the banning of weapons that are both dangerous and unusual, Maryland&rsquo;s ban cannot pass constitutional muster as it prohibits the possession of arms commonly possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Democratic Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, who has defended the law in court, said earlier this month that the 4th Circuit decision &ldquo;will save lives,&rdquo; adding that &ldquo;access to weapons of war that have no place in our communities causes senseless and preventable deaths.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Now that the 4th Circuit recently ruled on the dispute, FPC and other plaintiffs, such as Maryland gun owner David Snope, believe the justices should clarify whether the 2013 law passes the high court&rsquo;s Second Amendment test.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There is no legitimate basis for the Fourth Circuit to have concluded that the most widely owned semiautomatic rifles in the United States are not &lsquo;Arms&rsquo; protected by the Second Amendment,&rdquo; the FPC&rsquo;s president said.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>contacted Brown&rsquo;s office for comment.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1725377\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1725377\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A pro-gun organization has requested the Supreme Court to review Maryland&#8217;s ban on assault-style firearms, known as &#8220;assault weapons,&#8221; after lower courts dismissed attempts to challenge the state&#8217;s 2013 legislation. The Firearms Policy Coalition is contesting this law, which categorizes many semiautomatic weapons as illegal &#8220;assault weapons.&#8221; Earlier this month, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld the law with a split decision of 10-5, despite arguments from pro-gun advocates referencing a recent significant Second Amendment ruling that some believe could invalidate gun control laws.<\/p>\n<p>FPC president Brandon Combs stated that this case presents an opportunity for the Court to clarify how lower courts should handle unconstitutional bans on so-called &#8220;assault weapons&#8221; and similar regulations. The Maryland law was enacted in response to the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012, where a shooter used a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle to kill 20 children and six adults. Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), who supports stricter gun laws and trained with military-grade weapons during his National Guard service, believes civilians should not have access to such firearms.<\/p>\n<p>According to a 2023 Washington Post-Ipsos poll, approximately one in twenty Americans owns an AR-15; with around 16 million adults owning one based on a U.S. population of about 260.8 million. The legal challenge against Maryland&#8217;s law\u2014known as Snope v. Brown\u2014has been through various appeals since the landmark Supreme Court ruling Bruen v. New York Rifle &amp; Pistol Association in 2022 established criteria for evaluating gun control measures against historical firearm regulations.<\/p>\n<p>After Bruen&#8217;s majority ruling of 6-3 was issued, the Supreme Court sent this case back to the 4th Circuit for further examination under new historical standards but later denied review earlier this year due to ongoing disputes before that court. In its majority opinion, Circuit Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III noted that banned weapons are designed for combat rather than self-defense needs; however, dissenting judges argued that Second Amendment rights should not be treated as inferior.<\/p>\n<p>Circuit Judge Julius Richardson emphasized in dissent that appellants seek ownership of arms clearly protected by the Second Amendment and contended that while history may support banning certain dangerous or unusual weapons, Maryland\u2019s prohibition fails constitutional scrutiny because it restricts commonly owned arms used by lawful citizens.<\/p>\n<p>Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown defended the law earlier this month by stating it would save lives and prevent unnecessary deaths caused by access to military-style weaponry within communities. Following recent rulings from the Fourth Circuit regarding this matter, FPC and other plaintiffs like Maryland resident David Snope are urging justices to determine if Maryland\u2019s law meets constitutional standards under Second Amendment tests set forth by higher courts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2328643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Supreme_Court_Laws_673829304.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[38857,4837,18736,32275],"class_list":["post-2328642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-assault-weapons","tag-maryland","tag-pro-gun","tag-supreme-court"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Supreme_Court_Laws_673829304.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2328642"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328642\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2328643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2328642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2328642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2328642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}