NJ attorney general will help lead multistate effort to curb high-capacity gun magazines
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New Jersey is again at the forefront of gun reform as Attorney General Matthew Platkin will help lead a coalition of 17 attorneys general in a lawsuit asserting that large-capacity magazines are not protected by the Second Amendment.
Platkin has teamed up with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell to support California’s efforts to restrict the capacity of large-capacity magazines within its borders. They filed a brief on Thursday to support California’s work to prohibit the possession and sale of the magazines in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
What is the nature of the California case?
That California case involves whether a law that allows for possession and sale of firearms magazines that accept up to 10 rounds of ammunition but prohibits large-capacity magazines is constitutional.
A federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California issued a preliminary injunction against the ban, and California appealed the decision. The 9th Circuit has stayed the lower court’s preliminary injunction while it considers California’s appeal, allowing the law to remain in effect for now.
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What did Platkin say?
“States have the constitutional right to enact common-sense gun restrictions to protect the public,” Platkin said in a statement. “Large-capacity magazines are best understood as accessories to firearms and were designed for military use to hold as many bullets as possible. These devices are commonly used in mass shooting incidents across the United States — not for self-defense.”
In the brief, Platkin argues that the law is legal because “states can and do impose restrictions on dangerous weapons, accessories and ammunition that pose a threat to communities” as a means to ensure public safety and that these magazines are “not commonly used or suitable for self-defense.”
Tyler Jones, a spokesperson for Gov. Phil Murphy said that he "applauds Attorney General Platkin’s continued efforts to reduce gun violence and promote common-sense gun laws in our state and across the country."
"We remain committed to protecting New Jerseyans from the epidemic of gun violence and to keeping unnecessary weapons and dangerous accessories out of the hands of bad actors, and will continue to support our fellow states seeking to do the same,” Jones said.
Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: High capacity magazines: NJ attorney general backs California lawsuit
