Overview

• Maryland’s 2013 ban on assault-style rifles and Rhode Island’s 2022 limit on magazines holding more than ten rounds remain in effect after the court denied certiorari.
• Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented, arguing the court should address the constitutionality of the AR-15 ban now.
• Justice Brett Kavanaugh called the lower-court ruling “questionable” and forecast that the justices will take up assault-weapon bans in the next term or two.
• Both the Fourth and First Circuits had upheld the bans under the Second Amendment’s historical tradition test, ruling such weapons and accessories fall outside its core protection.
• Gun-control advocates welcomed the outcome and gun-rights groups including the Firearms Policy Coalition pledged to press on with new appeals.