Federal Appeals Court Upholds Maryland Weapons Ban: Path Cleared for Supreme Court Challenge

The U.S. Federal Appeals Court, in a 10-to-5 decision, has rejected the efforts of opponents of gun control to overturn the ban on semi-automatic rifles such as the AR-15 in Maryland. This decision could serve as a starting point for a landmark clarification of the limits of the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling on the expansion of gun rights. The appellate court in Richmond, Virginia, ruled that the ban does not violate the Second Amendment right to bear arms and does not contravene the historical traditions established in the 2022 case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. Maryland's decade-long ban on assault rifles is not protected by the Second Amendment, as rapid-fire long guns are "military weapons designed for sustained combat operations and are unsuitable and disproportionate for self-defense," wrote Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, a Reagan appointee. "We refuse to use the Constitution to remove military weapons, which have become principal instruments of mass murders and terrorist attacks in the U.S., from the influence of democratic processes," added Judge Wilkinson in a comprehensive 183-page opinion released on Tuesday. Attorneys for the Firearms Policy Coalition, one of the main plaintiffs in this case, announced their intention to seek a review by the Supreme Court. Their previous efforts to secure a preliminary ruling from the highest judges were unsuccessful. In their dissenting opinion, the five minority judges—all appointed by Republican presidents—accused the majority of ignoring Bruen and other precedents.