Illinois Supreme Court hears arguments on a challenge to Illinois' concealed carry law

SPRINGFIELD — Amid multiple recent challenges to state gun control laws, the Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday concerning the constitutionality of concealed carry licenses and open carry bans.

Under Illinois’ aggravated unlawful use of a weapon statute, individuals are not allowed to carry a firearm in public unless the person has a valid Concealed Carry License. Tyshon Thompson, the defendant, was convicted of violating the statute in March 2022 after having been involved in a highway shooting two years earlier.

Thompson, represented by the state appellate defender’s office, has since challenged the statute as unconstitutional based on the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court case New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. After a lower court affirmed his conviction in June 2023, Thompson appealed the decision.

Most states have some type of licensing process, characterized as either “shall-issue,” meaning they are issued if they meet the criteria set by the law, or “may-issue” licensing done at the discretion of authorities. Shall-issue licensing allows citizens to obtain permits through a non-restrictive process, while may-issue licenses require applicants to give a proper reason for needing a weapon.

In the Bruen case, the U.S. Supreme Court found that may-issue licenses were unconstitutional, ruling the New York law at issue violated the Fourteenth Amendment by making it difficult for people to show “proper cause” in order to exercise their basic Second Amendment right to bear arms. The court also decided states must show that their laws are consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation.

Read more at: https://southernillinoisnow.com/2025/01/20/illinois-supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-a-challenge-to-illinois-concealed-carry-law/