Judge rules Chicago gun sales ban unconstitutional

A federal judge ruled on Monday that a Chicago law that banned gun sales in the city was unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang, however, did not immediately let gun sales resume in the city, reports Bloomberg News. Chicago will first get a chance to appeal the ruling or adjust the current law.

In the ruling, Chang wrote, "Chicago's ordinance goes too far in outright banning legal buyers and legal dealers from engaging in lawful acquisitions and lawful sales of firearms."

The city has until Jan. 13 to decide on whether to appeal or make changes to the ban that are "short of a complete ban."

According to the Chicago Tribune, the lawsuit was filed back in 2010 by several Illinois firearms dealers and city residents.

They felt the ban that was enacted in an attempt to lower gun violence in Chicago violated their Constitutional right to bear arms. The suit also challenged not being allowed to keep firearms anywhere on a person's property except in their own house, excluding garages and porches.

image: Wikimedia Commons

WordPress › Error