U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn declined a petition from multiple Second Amendment advocates to delay the registration deadline.
The new law, which was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) in January, requires owners of the guns or accessories to file “endorsement affidavits.” These must be submitted to the Illinois State Police online.
Potential penalties include being charged with a misdemeanor offense initially and a felony for subsequent violations.
Despite arguments from gun rights groups, McGlynn wrote that granting the temporary injunction would be counterproductive in the ongoing legal battle. His opinion stated that doing so would “create further delays in this litigation when the constitutional rights of the citizens demand an expeditious resolution on the merits.”
The plaintiffs believe the contentious issue could ultimately land in the lap of the U.S. Supreme Court.
But McGlynn’s 34-page order allowed the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA) to continue racing toward the registration deadline. The overwhelming majority of state gun owners have outright ignored the mandate to register their offending firearms with the end only days away.
Several state sheriffs declared their departments will not enforce what they deem as an unconstitutional requirement.
Back in April, McGlynn granted an injunction on behalf of plaintiffs attempting to block the pending ban. At that time, he said it was likely to be found unconstitutional, but that ruling was subsequently dismissed by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.
Two separate attempts to have the law overturned in northern Illinois courts failed. The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month also declined to issue an injunction on PICA.
