Warren County State’s Attorney Thomas Siegel has joined 34 other Illinois county state’s attorneys in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals’ Seventh Circuit, urging the court to declare Illinois’ ban on so-called assault weapons unconstitutional.
The brief, led by Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine, argues that the January 2023 ban, which prohibits the sale, purchase, and manufacturing of firearms like AR-15-style rifles, violates the Second Amendment by restricting widely owned firearms used primarily for self-defense and recreation, not crime.
The filing supports a November 2024, ruling by U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn, now under appeal, which found the ban unconstitutional.
Siegel emphasized his oath to defend the Constitution.
“While disappointed with Illinois’ continuous assaults on the Second Amendment rights of its citizens, I cannot say I am surprised,” Siegel said. “As an Illinois attorney, I swore an oath to support, obey and defend the Constitution of the United States; an oath that I take seriously. I therefore join my colleagues in urging the court to uphold the ruling of District Court Judge Stephen McGlynn.”
Additional counsel for the brief are the state’s attorneys of Brown, Calhoun, Carroll, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Edwards, Effingham, Gallatin, Hancock, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Livingston, Marion, Mercer, Monroe, Ogle, Perry, Pulaski, Schuyler, Scott, Union, Vermilion, Warren, Washington, White and Woodford counties.
