US court upholds Chicago suburb's assault weapons ban

CHICAGO (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a Chicago suburb's ban on assault weapons.

In a 2-to-1 decision, a panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago declared Highland Park's ban constitutional, saying municipalities ought to have leeway in deciding how to regulate firearms.

The 12-page majority opinion says the prohibition doesn't violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution because it leaves would-be gun owners other options, including buying a handgun. The court says, if the ban on semi-automatic guns and large-capacity magazines reduces "the perceived risk from a mass shooting, and makes the public feel safer," that's a substantial benefit.

In a dissenting opinion, Judge Daniel Manion writes that "the ultimate decision for what constitutes the most effective means of defending one's home, family, and property resides in individual citizens and not in the government."

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