New Jersey AR-15 ban ruled unconstitutional by federal judge

New Jersey ’s ban on AR-15 rifles was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge Tuesday, but both Second Amendment and gun control advocates are planning to appeal the ruling.

In a decision that could force the state to overturn its decades-old prohibition of certain firearms, the court ruled against the New Jersey AR-15 ban but deemed the Garden State’s cap on magazines over 10 rounds constitutional.

U.S. District Judge Peter Sheridan ruled people in New Jersey can use the Colt AR-15 "for use of self-defense within the home" but did not rule on the use of any other prohibited semi-automatic firearms.

Sheridan suggested the other two branches of government could do more to solve gun-related violence and chided the “reckless inaction of our governmental leaders to address the mass shooting tragedy afflicting our Nation.”

“It is hard to accept the Supreme Court’s pronouncements that certain firearms policy choices are ‘off the table’ when frequently, radical individuals possess and use these same firearms for evil purposes,” he wrote in the majority’s opinion.

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With both sides planning to appeal the ruling, Sheridan temporarily delayed the order from taking effect for 30 days.

New Jersey is one of nine states, plus the District of Columbia, with a ban on AR-15s or similar firearms. If the appeals process makes its way up to the Supreme Court, the high court may choose not to hear the case as they did with a set of cases challenging similar laws in Illinois in early July.