The state of Illinois is appealing a court ruling that said its ban on concealed carry on the state's public transit system was unconstitutional, the Center Square reported Monday.
The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston earlier this month, came in response to a lawsuit by four Illinois residents who argued that the state's Firearm Concealed Carry Act unfairly restricts their right to self-defense. The judge agreed, ruling the ban violates the Second Amendment rights of citizens who hold concealed-carry permits.
The state's provision prohibited carrying firearms on any form of public transportation, including buses, trains, and related facilities.
The state filed notice of appeal on Friday, according to the Center Square. The appeal, filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, also a named defendant in the case, will be handled by the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
An attorney for the plaintiffs restated his belief that the law is unconstitutional while warning citizens not to break the law while the appeal is being heard.
"But the fact is that I think [the state of Illinois] would have a really tough time right now trying to justify how to enforce a law that a federal judge has told them is unconstitutional," plaintiff's attorney David Sigale told the Center Square.
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