Federal Judge Dismisses Charges Against Kansas Man Over Machine Gun Possession

A federal judge in Wichita, Kansas, dismissed charges against a man for possessing a machine gun. The ruling challenges the constitutionality of the federal ban on owning such weapons, following the Supreme Court's expanded gun rights precedents. Prosecutors failed to establish a historical analogue for machine gun restrictions.

A federal judge has dismissed charges against a Kansas man for possessing a machine gun, asserting that the prosecution failed to demonstrate the constitutionality of a federal ban on owning such weapons.

The decision from U.S. District Judge John Broomes in Wichita on Wednesday represents the first instance where a court has deemed banning machine guns unconstitutional, following the 2022 Supreme Court ruling in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which broadened gun rights and established a new test for evaluating firearm regulations.

Prosecutors in Tamori Morgan's case failed to present a historical precedent for machine gun restrictions, leading Judge Broomes to dismiss the charges. The Department of Justice may appeal the decision, which has already been criticized by gun safety advocates as 'extreme and reckless.'

(With inputs from agencies.)