In layman’s terms: A coalition of gun rights groups and private citizens is suing the state of New Jersey over its ban on suppressors.
It’s a beautiful day when New Jersey gets served with multiple lawsuits challenging its blatantly unconstitutional bans on commonly owned firearms and accessories. Today, New Jersey shooters can hopefully start counting the days until they can own suppressors, like most of the rest of the country.
On the afternoon of July 18, the New Jersey Firearms Owners Syndicate joined with a coalition of civil liberties and gun rights groups to file suit against Matthew Platkin, attorney general for the State of New Jersey, and challenged New Jersey’s ban on hearing protection, in the form of suppressors for firearms.
Padua v. Platkin was filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and includes three private individuals, David Padua, Michael Glenn, and Brian Weber, along with Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, Inc., Second Amendment Foundation, Safari Club International, New Jersey Firearm Owners Syndicate, American Suppressor Association, and the National Rifle Association of America.
“We are proud to stand among our partners at ASA, NRA, SAF, ANJRPC, and Safari Club in this critical step to restore the Second Amendment rights of New Jersey residents. There is nothing ‘common sense’ about a total ban on suppressors, an arm that can only be used by the people of this state to exercise their core Constitutional rights in a safer manner,” said NJFOS Director of Legal Operations Joe LoPorto, in an NJFOS press release.
The 26-page complaint points out that federal government authorities use suppressors to help protect from hearing loss, and has even conceded that suppressors are entitled to Second Amendment protection in a decision coming recently out of the Fifth Circuit appeals court known as Peterson.
This significant lawsuit comes on the heels of President Trump signing the “One Big Beautiful Bill” on July 4, passed by both houses of Congress, which eliminated the $200 excise tax on NFA items, like suppressors.
New Jersey is now defending half a dozen lawsuits against its onerous and unconstitutional laws regarding Second Amendment rights.
