In his bid to curb gun violence, Attorney General Kwame Raoul is backing the District of Columbia's (D.C.) law that restricts the magazine capacity of firearms. Alongside a coalition of 19 attorneys general, an amicus brief has been filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, maintaining that said law does not contravene the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The law in question authorizes D.C. residents to own and market magazines of up to 10 rounds, barring those of larger capacity. The recent Hanson v. District of Columbia case, which challenges this law based on Second Amendment rights claims, was dismissed by the trial court, thus preserving the statute during the trial period, accodring to the Illinois Attorney General's Office.
Despite court victories, D.C. lawmakers have aggressively pursued additional measures to safeguard their citizens. These initiatives include promoting awareness of red flag laws with law enforcement agencies, rectifying gaps in the state's firearms licensing system, and administering legal consequences to those who provide false information on Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) card applications, as detailed in the press release.
On the national front, Attorney General Raoul has been making strides in the battle against gun violence. This August, a law proposed by Raoul — the Firearms Industry Responsibility Act — was enacted by Governor JB Pritzker to penalize dishonest members of the gun trade. Across the nation, Raoul has rallied together coalitions of attorneys general to defend analogous state laws in New Jersey and New York, laws intended to enforce accountability in the gun industry.
Moreover, Raoul supports the prohibition of firearms in sensitive areas like schools and worship centers, and also endorses strengthened federal and state regulations on 3D-printed guns and ghost guns. The latter are now illegal in Illinois, but legal battles against these weapons still persist. Raoul's office is aiding the defense of a new rule that will close a federal loophole for these firearms in court. In the past, Raoul has also launched and settled lawsuits to retract the federal firearm license of an unethical arms maker.
While supporting law enforcement continues to be a priority for Raoul, his office also recognizes the importance of aiding victims of violent crimes and their families. To facilitate this focus, Raoul's Crime Victim Services Division provides an array of programs and services designed using a trauma-informed approach, furthers the press release.
The brief was filed with the support of attorneys general from a host of states, including California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington.
