Lake County Gazette

A Lake County Circuit Court has granted a temporary restraining order to Deerfield residents who are trying to legally keep their semi-automatic guns.

Illinois State Rifle Association officials filed suit on behalf of Deerfield resident Dennis Easterday after village officials enacted the ban that was set to take full effect on June 13. Easterday also had the legal assistance of the Second Amendment Foundation.

Before the ruling, residents of the northern Illinois village were required to turn in most semi-automatic handguns, rifles and shotguns in their possession.

“This is a victory for all gun owners in this state because firearms are a fundamental right for law-abiding citizens,” Richard Pearson, executive director of the ISRA, told the Illinois News Network. “This village and other villages are trying to attack fundamental rights, and I don’t think it’s going to work out very well for them.”

Pearson said where the association takes matters from here is contingent on what village officials decide to do next.

“We are ready to take it to the appellate court and beyond,” he said. “I cannot speak for the (U.S.) Supreme Court, but we are certainly going to find out if the village persists."

Village officials have indicated that they are still considering their options, including potentially filing an appeal. They have argued that their actions are aimed at combating mass shootings, a notion that Pearson scoffs at. 

“This has nothing to do with that,” he said. “...This is a political move by the village, and that’s all there is to it.”

The ban would outlaw extended-capacity magazines of 10 rounds or more. Anyone in possession of such a firearm in the village after the deadline went into effect would be subject to fines of up to $1,000 per day.