Supreme Court weighing whether to take up Highland Park assault weapon ban
November 2 Dahleen Glanton
Highland Park, a mostly affluent city on the North Shore, was among about 20 municipalities in the Chicago area to pass new ordinances or strengthen existing ones banning so-called assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, sparking a court challenge that could end up in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The high court is considering whether to accept an appeal filed by Highland Park pediatrician Arie S. Friedman, 49, who claims the ban passed by the City Council in 2013 violates the Second Amendment because it denies him the right to use his semi-automatic weapons to protect his home and family. The new law required that residents such as Friedman, who owned firearms capable of rapidly firing more than 10 rounds of ammunition, either remove them from the city, modify them or turn them over to police.
If the high court rejects the case, Highland Park will have set a legal precedent establishing that municipalities have the right to determine which weapons can be lawfully excluded under the law, according to Elrod, the city's corporation counsel.
