Fourth Circuit Upholds Maryland Assault Weapons Ban

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Maryland's 2013 ban on assault weapons, ruling that such military-style firearms fall outside Second Amendment protections. In a 10-5 decision, the majority opinion, written by Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, emphasized the historical precedent for regulating excessively dangerous weapons and the compatibility of the law with the tradition of firearm regulation in the U.S. This ruling comes in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Bruen, which necessitated a historical analysis of gun laws. The decision contrasts with rulings from other circuits regarding firearm possession rights for felons, highlighting ongoing legal debates surrounding the Second Amendment. Judge Milan Smith provided a dissenting view, suggesting that the Supreme Court may soon clarify the constitutionality of federal restrictions on felons possessing firearms.