FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :     Tuesday, September 01, 2015
CONTACT:  Sara Rabern (605)773-3215   

Attorney General Jackley Joins Attorney General Effort to Protect Second Amendment Rights

 
PIERRE, S.D – Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined an amicus brief, filed in the United States Supreme Court by 24 Attorneys General seeking to protect Second Amendment rights.

The brief was filed in the case of Arie S.Fiedman and the Illinois State Rifle Association v. City of Highland Park in opposition to a municipal ban of weapons “typically possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes”. The ban includes many commonly used firearms and the standard capacity magazines for many popular firearms.

“The Second Amendment gives law-abiding citizens the fundamental right to bear arms for hunting and in the defense of themselves and their families.  As Attorney General, I have a strong interest in the protection of our law-abiding citizen’s right to keep and bear arms,” stated Jackley.

The brief argues that the Second Amendment protects an 'individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation” as recognized in the District of Columbia v. Heller. Lower federal courts have consistently construed Heller narrowly, and certiorari is warranted to clarify for lower federal courts that the principles in Heller must be applied and reaffirmed.

The Attorneys General from the following states are participating:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and West Virginia.

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