ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL LEADS COALITION IN FILING BRIEF TO DEFEND LAW BANNING FELONS FROM POSSESSING FIREARMS

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL LEADS COALITION IN FILING BRIEF TO DEFEND LAW BANNING FELONS FROM POSSESSING FIREARMS

November 06, 2024

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 22 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief defending the federal law that prohibits people who have been convicted of felonies from possessing firearms.

In their brief, Raoul and the attorneys general ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to uphold the constitutionality of the federal prohibition. The full court agreed to rehear the case after a smaller panel of the court's judges concluded that the law was unconstitutional as applied to the defendant.

"The federal law banning felons from possessing firearms sets a clear standard that enhances public safety," Raoul said. "Policymakers have a vested interest in keeping guns out of the hands of those with a history of committing a serious crime. I am partnering with my fellow attorneys general in asking the court to uphold this needed protection."

The coalition argues that the Second Amendment allows governments to protect the public by enacting sensible regulations that ensure that only law-abiding, responsible individuals possess firearms. In addition to the federal law, essentially every state in the country has longstanding limitations on the possession of firearms by those convicted of many or all felonies. The attorneys general also explain that while the current federal restriction establishes a clear and workable standard, any alternative approach would be burdensome and very difficult for courts to administer.

The brief is the most recent step in Attorney General Raoul's work to address gun violence throughout Illinois and across the nation. The Attorney General's office created a state-of-the-art crime-gun tracing database for Illinois law enforcement called Crime Gun Connect. Raoul's office also collaborates with local law enforcement to combat gun trafficking and has used the office's jurisdiction to prosecute multi-county gun trafficking offenses. Additionally, the Attorney General's office works with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to increase awareness of Illinois' red flag law and to address gaps in Illinois' firearms licensing system. The office also prosecutes individuals who lie on FOID card applications.

The Attorney General's office partners with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) to try to avert violence by hosting trainings for law enforcement officers, educators, religious leaders and other community members that are designed to prevent targeted acts of violence.

Attorney General Raoul has persistently advocated at the federal and state levels to strengthen regulation of 3D-printed guns and ghost guns. Illinois law now prohibits ghost guns, but the office continues to fight in federal court to help defend a recent rule closing the federal loophole. Meanwhile, the Attorney General's office also defends cases pending in courts across the Illinois challenging the state's regulations of firearms. Nationally, Attorney General Raoul successfully filed and resolved a lawsuit to get the federal firearm license of an unscrupulous arms manufacturer revoked.

In addition to supporting law enforcement, the Attorney General's office supports victims service providers around Illinois that offer trauma-informed services for crime victims and their families. Raoul's Crime Victims Services Division administers a host of programs and services to assist survivors of violent crime. More information is available on the Attorney General's website.

Joining Raoul in filing the brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.