SCOTUS Declines to Hear Challenge to Maryland’s AR-15 Ban

The Supreme Court declined to hear a case on Monday challenging the legality of Maryland’s AR-15 ban. 

The Details: The case sought to overturn a Maryland law that labels the possession of various “assault weapons,” specifically the AR-15, as illegal. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas opted to take up the case, while an additional supporting vote would have pushed the move forward. Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated he would hear the case after certain decisions by appeals courts are settled. Thomas wrote, “I would not wait to decide whether the government can ban the most popular rifle in America. That question is of critical importance to tens of millions of law-abiding AR-15 owners throughout the country. We have avoided deciding it for a full decade.”

For Context: Maryland, one of the nine states that have banned AR-15 possession, enacted its law in 2013 following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The Court also declined to hear a case challenging Rhode Island’s high-capacity magazine ban, though the news was less widely covered than that of the Maryland ban.

How The Media Covered It: ABC News (Lean Left bias) highlighted the decision as a “major win for gun-safety advocates,” noting a decrease in gun violence in Maryland following heightened gun control laws. Washington Examiner (Lean Right) emphasized Thomas’ dissent and constitutional concerns. The Hill (Center) framed its coverage around Kavanaugh’s signal that the court will likely address the issue of AR-15 bans in the future.

Revised by the AllSides staff (of humans) after a first draft from our custom AI. Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.