FPC Urges Supreme Court to Hold NJ Gun Ban Case for Viramontes Ruling

Firearms Policy Coalition has filed a response brief with the Supreme Court in Davenport v. Cheeseman, defending its win over New Jersey's bans on common semiautomatic rifles and magazines, and asking the Court to hold the state's petition until it rules on FPC's related Viramontes v. Cook County case.

Key points

• Case background: FPC previously won at the full Third Circuit, which found New Jersey's bans on semiautomatic rifles and magazines unconstitutional.
• New Jersey's move: The state petitioned the Supreme Court for review, but also asked the Court to hold that petition pending its decision in Viramontes, a case covering the same core question on AR-15 style bans.
• FPC's position: FPC agrees the petition should be held, but insists the Third Circuit got the underlying case right and isn't conceding any ground.
• Timing: Viramontes is set for oral argument before the Supreme Court on December 2, putting a national ruling on these bans within reach.
• Leadership statement: FPC President Brandon Combs said the group intends to "take that victory nationwide" and keep fighting until bans like New Jersey's are eliminated.

Quick take

Bearing Arms frames this as a procedural formality rather than a fresh fight — New Jersey isn't really contesting the merits so much as stalling, and even the state seems to sense how Viramontes will land. If the Third Circuit's reasoning holds up nationally, this filing could end up being a footnote to a much bigger ruling.

Read the full story: bearingarms.com