The Department of Justice filed an amicus brief Thursday with the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals urging the full court to strike down New Jersey’s bans on AR-15-style rifles and magazines holding more than 10 rounds, arguing the categorical prohibitions violate the Second Amendment.
A 2-1 panel of the Philadelphia-based appeals court ruled last week that a lower-court judge erred in striking down the state’s restrictions under the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision. That landmark ruling reshaped gun laws nationwide by requiring any firearm regulation to be consistent with the nation’s historical tradition, reinforcing that the Second Amendment is not a “second-class right.”
Citing a February executive order by President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s April 8 directive to “use [DOJ’s] full might” to safeguard gun rights, the government told the appeals court the Second Amendment protects arms “in common use” for all traditionally lawful purposes, including common defense.
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