New Jersey Chapter of Moms Demand Action, Everytown Law Join AG Platkin in Urging Third Circuit Court of Appeals to Uphold State’s Life-Saving Assault Weapons and High-Capacity Magazine Ban 

PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Third Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs, Inc. v. Platkin today, a challenge to New Jersey’s common sense restrictions on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. The New Jersey chapter of Moms Demand Action and Everytown Law issued the following statements of support for the life-saving law, joining New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin in urging the Third Circuit Court to uphold it.

“New Jersey’s common-sense gun safety laws have been responsible for back-to-back record low numbers of shootings in our state in the last two years and being on track to beat that record again this year – but this significant achievement is under threat by the gun lobby seeking to bolster their profits at the cost of the lives of New Jerseyans,” said New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin. “Over the course of the Murphy Administration, we have never wavered in our commitment to saving lives in our state. Whether it is establishing our Statewide Affirmative Firearms Enforcement Office and bringing successful suits to hold gun industry members accountable, successfully defending New Jersey’s concealed carry restrictions and other gun safety laws after the Bruen decision, or working with Governor Murphy to enact the most significant gun safety reforms in the history of our state, we have always fought to protect lives in New Jersey, and we have built up a record of success. We look forward to today’s oral arguments and to continuing this important work.”

“Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines have been used in some of our nation’s deadliest mass shootings. They have the power to wreak havoc and destroy lives in a matter of seconds, and it just breaks my heart to think these weapons of war could be brought back to the streets of Jersey,” said Lisa Winkler, a volunteer with the New Jersey chapter of Moms Demand Action. “I pray the judges recognize these firearms have absolutely no place in our communities or in the hands of everyday New Jerseyans.”

“Courts across the country have overwhelmingly upheld laws restricting assault weapons and large-capacity magazines in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decisions in Bruen and Rahimi, holding time and again that these laws are consistent with the Second Amendment,” said Bill Taylor, Deputy Director of Second Amendment Litigation at Everytown Law. “We know assault weapons and large-capacity magazines cause massive devastation, and urge the Third Circuit to uphold New Jersey’s common sense restrictions.”

Moms Demand Action volunteers will sit alongside New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin to listen to oral arguments this morning. Six other federal courts of appeals – the First, Second, Fourth, Seventh, Ninth and D.C. Circuits – have considered Second Amendment challenges to assault weapons and/or high-capacity magazine restrictions since Bruen. All six have rejected the challenges and upheld the laws. Everytown Law submitted an amicus brief in defense of New Jersey’s law.

From 2015 to 2022, shootings with four or more people killed where large-capacity magazines were used resulted in nearly five times as many people shot, more than twice as many people killed, and nearly 10 times as many people wounded per incident, on average. Additionally, at least eight of the ten deadliest mass shootings involved a large-capacity magazine. 

In that same time frame, mass shootings with four or more people killed where an assault weapon was used resulted in nearly six times as many people shot, more than twice as many people killed, and 23 times as many people wounded on average compared to those that did not involve the use of one. Research shows a prohibition on assault weapons can prevent mass shooting fatalities and active shooter events. More on the critical nature of assault weapons bans can be found here.
Gun violence costs New Jersey $5.3 billion each year, of which $168.9 million is paid by taxpayers. In an average year, 437 people die and 1,265 are wounded by guns in New Jersey. Read more about New Jersey gun laws here.