TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin of New Jersey and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced their leadership in a coalition of 15 other attorneys general, backing California’s efforts to limit standard-capacity magazines (SCMs). The coalition filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in support of California’s SCM prohibition, asserting its alignment with the Second Amendment.
The attorney general refers to standard 30-round magazines incorrectly as “large capacity magazines” (LCM) although New Jersey is one of a few states that requires gun owners and manufacturers to use custom made magazines or to modify standard capacity magazines to comply with the law.
The case, Duncan vs. Bonta, debates the constitutionality of a California law that restricts the possession and sale of LCMs while allowing magazines with up to ten rounds. After the Southern District of California’s court issued a preliminary injunction against the ban, California appealed. The Ninth Circuit has temporarily stayed the injunction, keeping the law active during the appeal.
Attorney General Platkin emphasized that states have the constitutional right to implement gun restrictions for public safety. He pointed out that LCMs, often used in mass shootings, are not suitable for self-defense.
The attorney general says LCMs are not protected under the Second Amendment, as they are not “arms” and are not commonly used for self-defense. Their usage in gun violence leads to higher casualties.
Joining New Jersey and Massachusetts in the brief are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
