Got standard capacity magazines, or “banned” guns in your car or elsewhere they’re not supposed to be under Pritzker’s new gun ban law? Better have them at home snuggled in nice and tight after 9am tomorrow. Ditto for any private gun transfers you’re still doing under the terms of the previous law since July 1st. Why? The Illinois Supreme Court announced today that they’re releasing their decision on the state’s appeal of a Macon County judge’s ruling that the so-called “Protect Illinois Communities Act” is unconstitutional.
Expect the Macon County ruling to be vacated.
What’s that mean in plain English?
It means the Macon County ruling will no longer remain in effect. The Illinois State Police can get busy enforcing the PICA gun ban with all of the enthusiasm it can muster. It also means all those folks that are on Tom DeVore’s lawsuits currently enjoying temporary injunctive relief become mere mortals once more and their TRO is no longer valid. Update: Not yet, but it’s likely coming.
Expect the ISP to make some examples of people who have bought guns and/or magazines since Jan. 10th. The fine folks at ISP willing to do Pritzker’s bidding are going to do their best to scare everyone else into compliance.
Most local law enforcement agencies will likely look the other way – for the most part. Oh, there are exceptions downstate, like the Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman (sp?) who, during a departmentwide meeting recently, asked his sworn staff if they’re going to stand behind him in enforcing the PICA ban against formerly law-abiding FOID-cardholder residents. Most of the senior deputies followed the lead of one who took his badge off and put it on the table. “That’s what will happen if you want me to enforce this, sir.” Meanwhile, the newer, younger guys all had their sphincters clenched tight, not wanting to irritate their “commanding officer” and endanger their careers.
Also don’t be surprised to see another trend accelerate… one involving the Illinois Department of Revenue. Imagine my surprise hearing that not one, but two of Tom DeVore’s named plaintiffs in the TRO suits has suddenly found himself subject to an Illinois Department of Revenue audit in recent days. One’s been a taxpayer for 35 years and it’s the first time he’s ever been audited by anyone. Pritzker’s taking the example set by senior leftists in Washington weaponizing the IRS against political adversaries and implementing that here in the Land of Lincoln.
Gun shops on the TRO can expect much the same… they’re already getting extra scrutiny related to sale tax filings, etc. to say nothing of the Illinois Gun Dealer Licensing law harassment.
The Center Square does a nice job reporting it.
The Illinois Supreme Court is expected to release its decision Friday on the challenge to Illinois’ gun and magazine ban.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted the Protect Illinois Communities Act on Jan. 10, this year. The law bans sales of certain semi-automatic firearms and magazines over a certain capacity. An affidavit of such firearms owned before then must be registered with Illinois State Police by Jan. 1, 2024, or criminal penalties can apply.
Sheriffs across the state vowed to not enforce the law.
A challenge from state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, secured temporary restraining orders for Caulkins and other named plaintiffs in Macon County back in February. That followed separate state-level cases in different counties brought by attorney Thomas DeVore, where thousands of individual plaintiffs and gun stores secured temporary restraining orders against the state from enforcing the law against those named. A direct appeal was heard by the Illinois Supreme Court in May after an appeals court in one of the DeVore cases found the challenge was likely to advance on the merits.
The Illinois Supreme Court announced Thursday that it expects to release an opinion at 9 a.m. Friday. The thousands of TROs could be wiped away if the court upholds the law.
Easy to predict…. The bought and paid for “judges” and the leftist filth that make up most of the Illinois Supreme Court will find PICA 100% Constitutional despite the massive Constitutional violations. We’ll get screwed again just like the steaming mountain of horse shit decision that the liberal scum “judge” handed down in the GSL FOID case.