A federal appeals court has upheld Maryland's ban on assault weapons in a recent ruling that has sparked debate among judges. The challenge to Maryland's law was one of many gun rights lawsuits that have come under scrutiny in light of a stringent, history-focused test set by the Supreme Court in 2022.
The 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, in a majority opinion, supported the ban on semiautomatic weapons, citing their association with mass killings and terrorist attacks in the United States. The dissenting opinion, however, argued that the majority disregarded the wisdom of the Founders and granted states unprecedented power to restrict constitutional liberties.
The court's decision to uphold the Maryland ban was influenced by the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in the Bruen case, which emphasized the importance of historical context when evaluating gun regulations. The 4th Circuit's opinion also comes after a recent Supreme Court ruling that upheld a ban on individuals subject to domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms.
Despite declining previous opportunities to review assault weapons bans, the Supreme Court sent the Maryland case back for further consideration under the 2022 precedent, leading to the recent ruling. The majority argued that semiautomatic guns prohibited under the law were not protected by the Second Amendment due to their dangerous and unusual nature.
While the dissent disagreed with this interpretation of historical precedent, stating that there was no longstanding practice of prohibiting certain weapons in early America, the majority pointed to historical analogues supporting the Maryland statute.
In a separate gun rights case, the 4th Circuit also rejected a challenge to a federal law prohibiting the possession of firearms with altered serial numbers. The complex legal landscape surrounding gun rights cases has led to disagreements among judges, highlighting the need for further clarity from the Supreme Court.
