Federal Judge Dismisses Machine Gun Charges in Landmark Ruling

A federal judge in Kansas dismissed charges against a man for possessing a machine gun, marking a historic moment. The judge ruled the federal ban on machine guns unconstitutional due to a lack of historical precedent. This decision follows a Supreme Court ruling expanding gun rights in 2022.

A federal judge has dismissed charges against a Kansas man for possessing a machine gun, ruling that prosecutors failed to prove the federal ban is constitutional. This unprecedented decision was issued by U.S. District Judge John Broomes in Wichita on Wednesday.

This case is the first since the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2022 to expand gun rights, setting a new criterion that firearm regulations must align with the nation's historical tradition. In the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court stated that restrictions only need a 'historical analogue,' not a 'historical twin,' to be valid.

Judge Broomes, appointed by former President Donald Trump, concluded that prosecutors in Tamori Morgan's case failed to find a historical precedent to support the machine gun ban. The Department of Justice may appeal the decision, which has already been condemned by gun safety groups as 'extreme and reckless.'

(With inputs from agencies.)