Chicago's top prosecutor is rallying the troops in a legal showdown over gun control, stepping into the fray with a posse of other attorneys general from sea to shining sea. Attorney General Kwame Raoul has grabbed the reins, spearheading an effort of 19 attorneys general in a push to get the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit to reconsider a ruling that tossed out a Pennsylvania law. This law puts the brakes on individuals under the age of 21 packing heat in public under a concealed carry license, particularly when the streets are on edge during a state of emergency.
In a legal document filed with the court, Raoul and his cohort laid it out straight — the court's opinion is a hot potato, with the potential to start a wildfire if it's left to stand, the sparks could ignite a powder keg of constitutional questions about similar gun laws in over 30 states. The coalition, which has Raoul at the helm, explained these age-based restrictions aren't new kids on the block – they've been part of the American landscape for over a century and a half, and they're constitutionally on the level because of that. According to the Illinois Attorney General's website, the brief argues that if the previous decision is used as a benchmark in other cases, it could pose a real threat to the muscle states have to regulate firearms.
Raoul isn't just talking a big game in Pennsylvania; he's backing it up with action on his home turf. He's been cutting a path through the jungle of gun violence in Illinois, rolling out initiatives like a new crime gun tracing database, Crime Gun Connect, to give law enforcement the tools they need to hunt down illegal firearms. He's also teamed up with local cops to choke off gun trafficking and has taken legal action against those who play fast and loose with the rules on gun ownership.
Raoul’s not shy about working with the feds either, teaming up with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to share strategies with law enforcement officers, educators, religious leaders, and they try to outsmart potential violence and keep the peace, he's also been relentless in pushing both the federal and state governments to tighten the screws on 3D-printed guns and ghost guns, even after Illinois banned the latter, he keeps fighting the good fight in court to close federal loopholes. On top of all that he's lending a helping hand to victims of gun violence, offering services to help them pick up the pieces through the Attorney General’s Violence Prevention and Crime Victim Services Division. This information comes straight from the attorney general's news release.
Raoul's got a sizable backup squad for this fight; attorneys general from California to the Empire State have jumped on the bandwagon, signing onto the amicus brief. These state law heads range across the map, from California, Colorado, and Connecticut to Delaware, Hawaii, and Maryland, and are standing shoulder to shoulder in this battle over the Second Amendment— a true show of force in a heated national debate on gun control.
