ISRA Statement on Harrel v. Raoul
The ISRA and our partners in the Harrel v. Raoul had a great victory on Friday the 8th of November. I would like to thank the great work of our partners which includes the Second Amendment Foundation, Firearms Policy Coalition, Dane Harrel, Marengo Guns, and C4 Gun Store. A special thanks to ISRA attorney David Sigale.
From the very beginning the ISRA Harrel v. Raoul case was designed to win at every level which includes the Federal District Court, the Seventh Circuit Court, and the Supreme Court of the United States. We – along with the plaintiffs in the three other cases that were consolidated with ours – painstakingly assembled evidence which we presented in this case. Approximately 10,000 pages of evidence were presented in this case, plus witness testimony. The judge ruled the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA) and the registration scheme accompanying it unconstitutional. At the same time the judge issued a permanent injunction enjoining the state of Illinois from enforcing this act, but also issued a 30 day stay on the permanent injunction. The stay postpones the judgment’s effect in order to allow for the State of Illinois, which it has already done. This means the case is already at the Seventh Circuit, which likewise means the case will hopefully progress to the Supreme Court as rapidly as possible.
I believe we will win this lawsuit, and I also believe this lawsuit will have a ripple effect on other cases before various courts in Illinois and throughout the country. Judge McGlynn’s opinion is so well written and backed up by so much evidence that other courts and other judges will have to consider it. One of those cases would be the Anderson case which considers the Illinois ban on suppressors, and the Reece case which deals with “Liberty Week”, and other cases in various courts around the state. It will also add constraints on the Illinois Governor and the Illinois General Assembly which would make them consider legislation more carefully that might be unconstitutional.
What does this case mean to Illinois gun owners right now? First, during the stay of the injunction you can’t do anything at this time. Further, we believe the State will seek a similar stay from the Seventh Circuit pending appeal. Without an extension of the stay by the Seventh Circuit, on December 9th Illinois citizens will be able to purchase firearms covered by the PICA act, pickup firearms that were purchased during “Liberty Week”, and basically go on purchasing, owning, possessing firearms covered by the PICA act as they did before the act.
What do I expect the Seventh Circuit to do? In our quest for a temporary injunction which happened earlier this year, the Seventh Circuit overrode the temporary injunction issued by Judge McGlynn, which ended “Liberty Week”. That does not mean the Seventh Circuit will do the same thing this time. One reason that the temporary injunction was not upheld was the evidentiary hearing had not been heard. Courts seldom issue temporary injunctions without an evidentiary hearing. I believe the Seventh Circuit will make an effort to expedite the case. However, I would remind everyone that the courts make their own schedule and there is no law requiring them to do it within a certain amount of time. However, whatever the outcome of the case at the Seventh Circuit level (whether the case is only heard by a three Judge panel or subsequently heard by the full en banc Court), we believe the Harell v. Raoul case and accompanying cases will eventually be heard by the Supreme Court of the United States.
I believe our case will be heard by the Supreme Court of the United States, possibly with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals’ Bianchi v. Brown decision out of Maryland, which is now the subject of a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court. Depending on how that case progresses we may find ourselves filing for Certiorari alongside the Bianchi case, or waiting to see what the Supreme Court does with it.
I would like to thank all of our ISRA members for all of their support. Bringing cases like Harell vs. Raoul would be impossible without our members. If you are not a member, please join.
The Fallout from Pritzker’s Unconstitutional Gun Ban – Executive Director Richard Pearson talks about the status of the Harrel v Raoul lawsuit, Judge McGlynn’s findings on Friday, and the repercussions for Illinois gun owners and other drastic laws as well.
Legislative Update
There are three bills rumbling around in veto session. We expect to see action on these bills in Lame Duck Session which could begin as early morning of January 8, 2025.
All of these bills put law abiding gun owners in jeopardy. These bills can be followed by going to our website where they are updated within minutes of changes being made to them. I urge everyone to refresh themselves on witness slips by watching the tutorial on our website.
To the bills;
• HB5888 and SB3737 – Lost and Stolen Firearms
• SB2633 “Karina’s Law” – There are going to be amendments to this bill and there may be other bills introduced that we have not seen yet.
• HB5891 and SB3527 – Safe Storage of Firearms.
The situation is extremely fluid. We will keep you updated.
Gun owners made the difference in the 2024 election.
The general election has been won and Donald Trump is the first president since Grover Cleveland to win a second term after losing a first term election. Just as important is the winning of the U.S. Senate. This means the Supreme Court of the United States will not be “packed” and one or two justices that have been wanting to retire can finally do so. Those Justices would most likely be Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The control of the U.S. Senate by Republicans does not mean that the nominees to the United States Supreme Court will not go through a bloody confirmation hearing.
The election of Donald Trump means the weaponization of government bureaucracies, such as the ATF, DOJ, FBI, and a basket full of other alphabet soup agencies will stop. The problem, of course, is that many of the bureaucrats placed in those agencies will still remain, embedded like ticks. The ones who are let go will be hired by non-governmental organizations that want to prepare for the 2028 general elections. They will slither into these NGOs and hide there like a black mamba waiting to strike at freedom-loving people like you and me.
This battle will never be over, but at least we have the opportunity to breathe in freedom for four years. Stay strong and do not quit the fight. Remember…get in the fight, stay in the fight and join the ISRA!
Other Events & Gun Shows
While the gun show information shown in this article is believed to be accurate, sometimes changes occur. This is provided for informational purposes only.
If your club or organization is holding a gun show, event or class, let us know the details, and we’d be happy to post it in our Weekly Range Schedule.
Dec 7 – Dec 8
Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club Gun & Knife Show, Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club House, Chillicothe
Dec 8
Kane County Gun Show
Kane County Fairgrounds
Dec 14 – Dec 15
Kankakee Gun & Sportsman’s Show, Kankakee Co. Fairgrounds
Dec 14 – Dec 15
Peoria Gun & Knife Show
Exposition Gardens, Peoria
Dec 21 – Dec 22
Crown Point Gun Show, Lake County Fairgrounds, Crown Point, IN
ISRA Grassroots Monthly Meetings
Come and meet fellow activists and learn the latest on protecting our Second Amendment Rights!
East Central Illinois – 3rd Thurs
Clifton Sportsman’s Club, 3106 US-45 #52, Clifton, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
Northwest Suburban – 3rd Tues
Golden Corral, 1591 S. Randall Rd., Algonquin, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
South Suburban/Cook County
2nd Thurs
Kenootz Pizza, 4659 147th St., Midlothian, IL; Doors open 6:30pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
Will County – 3rd Wed
Silver Dollar Restaurant, 422 E. Mississippi Ave., Elwood, IL; Doors open 6pm; Meeting 7pm – 8pm
