Richard A. Pearson, Executive Director | ISRA website
Richard A. Pearson, Executive Director | ISRA website
The Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) expressed disappointment following the U.S. Supreme Court's denial of their request for emergency relief regarding Gov. JB Pritzker’s ban on commonly owned firearms in Illinois. The appeal, which was officially filed with the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, argued that the law is unconstitutional.
On January 17, 2023, the ISRA, Firearms Policy Coalition, and the Second Amendment Foundation initiated a federal lawsuit in the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. After progressing through various legal stages and being rejected by the Seventh Circuit on December 11, 2023, a certiorari petition was submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a dissenting opinion regarding the emergency relief denial, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas criticized the Seventh Circuit's interpretation of "non-militaristic" limitations on arms protected by the Second Amendment as "nonsensical."
“We are obviously very disappointed for the millions of legal gun owners in Illinois by today’s decision not to grant emergency relief," said ISRA Executive Director Richard Pearson. "But we’re not giving up... Too much is at stake."
Pearson emphasized that despite this setback, their objective remains unchanged: to challenge Gov. Pritzker’s law before higher courts if necessary.
The case will continue with a hearing scheduled for September 16th in front of Judge Stephen McGlynn in the Southern District of Illinois.
The ISRA has been actively involved as a named plaintiff in two cases and supports five additional cases related to constitutional issues affecting law-abiding gun owners in Illinois.
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