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Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard
Pearson said the case could be in front of the U.S. Supreme
Court early next year with a potential for final judgement by
this time next year.
“Well, I'm all happy about that,” Pearson told The Center
Square. “I look forward to those oral arguments. Actually, I
want to get our side of the story out there. I think it's
important. I think we have the preponderance of evidence by far
on our side. So I think that we're going to do well in this
case.”
The arguments expected are that the banned firearms are in
common use and therefore cannot be restricted while the state
says they are dangerous and restrictions are necessary because
of unprecedented societal concerns over mass shootings.
The state files its final appeals brief in the case July 28.
Friday marks three years since the Highland Park Independence
Day mass shooting where seven died and dozens were injured.
Legislators pointed to the crime as one of the reasons to
approve the gun ban in 2023.
Asked last month about the U.S. Department of Justice siding
with plaintiffs that the ban is unconstitutional, Gov. J.B.
Pritzker said the DOJ is “wrongheaded.”
“They obviously don't understand the damage that's being done
across the country where there are no assault weapons bans,”
Pritzker said June 16.
Pearson said the DOJ filing is strong and he expects gun rights
arguments to win in the end.
“You can't make a law because some bad people, less than one
tenth of 1%, do bad stuff with things, because there wouldn’t be
any product left on the market of anything,” Pearson said.
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