Federal judge temporarily suspends Illinois ban on carrying assault weapons

A federal judge in downstate Illinois issued an injunction Friday temporarily blocking a gun ban that was signed into law in January by Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker.

District Court Judge Stephen Patrick McGlynn issued a ruling highlighting the importance of taking into account the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

"No State may enact a law that denies its citizens the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution. Even legislation that enjoys the support of the majority of its citizens will fail if it violates the constitutional rights of its fellow citizens," he said.

The arms ban is intended to sanction persons who "carry or possess (...) manufacture, sell, deliver, import or purchase" any assault weapon, 50 caliber rifle, or any of its accessories.

It also imposes a limit on the purchase of certain magazines and requires persons who own guns to register them with the Illinois State Police.

Gun Owners of America celebrates ruling

Erich Prat, senior vice president of the Gun Owners of America organization applauded Judge McGlynn's decision and stressed that they will continue to fight gun ownership.

"Governor Pritzker and his little anti-gun group in the legislature thought they could violate the Second Amendment, and this ruling makes clear that they abused their authority and infringed on their citizens' rights," he said.

California gun control law is unconstitutional

Last month a judge also , which restricted the sale of new models of handguns and imposed requirements such as magazine disconnect mechanisms and other details that made it difficult to both use and purchase the weapons.

"No handgun available in the world has these features. These regulations are having a devastating impact on the ability of Californians to acquire and use new, state-of-the-art handguns," the judge stated.