JW’s Firearms Training

08/23/2025

06/15/2025

1157 likes, 30 comments. “ BREAKING NEWS: TRUMP DOJ MOVES”

06/15/2025

399 likes, 12 comments. “HUGE NEWS! 🤯 The DOJ just sided with gun owners on assault weapon bans! This could be a game-changer for your 2A rights.”

11/12/2024

Statement on Harrel v. Raoul
By Executive Director Richard A Pearson

The ISRA and our partners in the Harrel v. Raoul had a great victory on Friday the 8th of November. I would like to thank the great work of our partners which includes the Second Amendment Foundation, Fi****ms Policy Coalition, Dane Harrel, Marengo Guns, and C4 Gun Store. A special thanks to ISRA attorney David Sigale.

From the very beginning the ISRA Harrel v. Raoul case was designed to win at every level which includes the Federal District Court, the Seventh Circuit Court, and the Supreme Court of the United States. We – along with the plaintiffs in the three other cases that were consolidated with ours - painstakingly assembled evidence which we presented in this case. Approximately 10,000 pages of evidence were presented in this case, plus witness testimony. The judge ruled the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA) and the registration scheme accompanying it unconstitutional. At the same time the judge issued a permanent injunction enjoining the state of Illinois from enforcing this act, but also issued a 30 day stay on the permanent injunction. The stay postpones the judgment’s effect in order to allow for the State of Illinois, which it has already done. This means the case is already at the Seventh Circuit, which likewise means the case will hopefully progress to the Supreme Court as rapidly as possible.

I believe we will win this lawsuit, and I also believe this lawsuit will have a ripple effect on other cases before various courts in Illinois and throughout the country. Judge McGlynn’s opinion is so well written and backed up by so much evidence that other courts and other judges will have to consider it. One of those cases would be the Anderson case which considers the Illinois ban on suppressors, and the Reece case which deals with “Liberty Week”, and other cases in various courts around the state. It will also add constraints on the Illinois Governor and the Illinois General Assembly which would make them consider legislation more carefully that might be unconstitutional.

What does this case mean to Illinois gun owners right now? First, during the stay of the injunction you can’t do anything at this time. Further, we believe the State will seek a similar stay from the Seventh Circuit pending appeal. Without an extension of the stay by the Seventh Circuit, on December 9th Illinois citizens will be able to purchase fi****ms covered by the PICA act, pickup fi****ms that were purchased during “Liberty Week”, and basically go on purchasing, owning, possessing fi****ms covered by the PICA act as they did before the act.

What do I expect the Seventh Circuit to do? In our quest for a temporary injunction which happened earlier this year, the Seventh Circuit overrode the temporary injunction issued by Judge McGlynn, which ended “Liberty Week”. That does not mean the Seventh Circuit will do the same thing this time. One reason that the temporary injunction was not upheld was the evidentiary hearing had not been heard. Courts seldom issue temporary injunctions without an evidentiary hearing. I believe the Seventh Circuit will make an effort to expedite the case. However, I would remind everyone that the courts make their own schedule and there is no law requiring them to do it within a certain amount of time. However, whatever the outcome of the case at the Seventh Circuit level (whether the case is only heard by a three Judge panel or subsequently heard by the full en banc Court), we believe the Harell v. Raoul case and accompanying cases will eventually be heard by the Supreme Court of the United States.

I believe our case will be heard by the Supreme Court of the United States, possibly with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals’ Bianchi v. Brown decision out of Maryland, which is now the subject of a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court. Depending on how that case progresses we may find ourselves filing for Certiorari alongside the Bianchi case, or waiting to see what the Supreme Court does with it.
I would like to thank all of our ISRA members for all of their support. Bringing cases like Harell vs. Raoul would be impossible without our members. If you are not a member, please join.

11/11/2024

BREAKING NEWS _ Judge Stephen McGlynn has found the ban on commonly owned fi****ms in Illinois to be unconstitutional under the 2nd and 14th amendments. He has further enjoined the Pritzker administration from enforcement of the ban effective 30 days from today. The ISRA will have a full statement later this afternoon.

11/10/2024

102K likes, 5509 comments. “A federal judge in East St. Louis on Friday struck down Illinois' assault weapons ban on the grounds that it violates the Second and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution and issued an order barring the state from enforcing it. That order, however, was stayed for 30 ...

09/06/2024

ISRA Statement on the Schoenthal v. Raoul Summary Judgement:

“Plaintiffs Benjamin Schoenthal, Mark Wroblewski, Joseph Vesel, and Douglas Winston were vindicated on Friday as Federal District Court Judge Iain D. Johnston ruled that Illinois’ ban on carrying fi****ms on public transportation and in public transportation facilities was unconstitutional.

While the ruling applied specifically to the Plaintiffs, this is certainly a victory for the broader Second Amendment community in Illinois, and we’re grateful a lawsuit was filed challenging this unconstitutional ban.

Chicago Transit Authority trains and facilities remain a target rich environment for dangerous criminals who freely roam CTA properties as they terrorize innocent victims. And the four people killed on the Blue Line train in Forest Park early Monday is yet another example of the dangers that children, teenagers, adults and senior citizens face every day as they travel around the city.

It’s also sad that CTA President Dorval Carter spends more time traveling around the world and flying on a plane, than visiting Chicago transit stations and ensuring that his customers get to their destinations safely and without incidents.

The ISRA is presently leading the charge as a named plaintiff on two cases and playing a supporting role in an additional five more – totaling 7 cases dealing with constitutional issues and on behalf of law-abiding gun owners in Illinois.”

06/24/2024

With Illinois State Rifle Association – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers! 🎉

06/21/2024

US Supreme Court Upholds Importance of Due Process in US v. Rahimi

Today, the US Supreme Court held in US v Rahimi that the temporary restriction of a dangerous individual’s ability to possess a firearm is consistent with the history of the 2nd Amendment.

While there are those in Illinois who would seek to remove fi****ms and deny rights to individuals without the benefit of due process, The Illinois State Rifle Association points out that today’s opinion makes clear that proper due process is an important part of the process where 2nd Amendment rights are concerned.

Notably, Chief Justice Roberts finds that a temporary restriction under 922(g)(8) is proper because in part:

“A prosecution under Section 922(g)(8) may proceed only if three criteria are met. First, the defendant must have received actual notice and an opportunity to be heard before the order was entered.”

The Illinois State Rifle Association has opposed recent attempts by activists to pass laws which restrict 2nd Amendment Rights without due process, and we strongly encourage those groups to heed the words written in the majority opinion today which also contains the following passages:

“we note that Section 922(g)(8) applies only once a court has found that the defendant “represents a credible threat to the physical safety” of another.”

“the Second Amendment right may only be burdened once a defendant has been found to pose a credible threat to the physical safety of others.”

Again, today’s decision makes clear that a court must make a finding before restricting 2nd amendment rights. These rights cannot be curtailed on the basis of an unverified allegation, and the ISRA will continue to fight against attempts to remove firearm owner’s rights to due process in the Illinois legislature.

“Today’s opinion applies solely to those who have been shown to be a credible threat to others through due process in the legal system. The ISRA continues to fight for the rights of peaceful citizens to protect themselves through firearm ownership and exercise of their 2nd amendment rights” - Richard Pearson, Executive Director, Illinois State Rifle Association.

05/02/2024

ISRA Lawsuit on Gun Ban Heads to Supreme Court's May 16th Conference

The Supreme Court announced on April 30th that it will be distributing the Harrel v. Raoul for discussion in its May 16th conference. During this conference, the court’s justices will discuss and possibly vote on whether or not to accept the case for hearing. This case is a result of the partnership between your Illinois State Rifle Association, The Second Amendment Foundation and The Fi****ms Policy Coalition.

The Court will be conferencing on our case along with all five of the other cases that were consolidated back in November 2023 by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in their Bevis opinion. This includes cases from the Federal Fi****ms Licensees of Illinois and the National Shooting Sports Federation. The ISRA would like to congratulate our fellow 2A advocates in Illinois on their successes in these cases so far.

The Bevis ruling by the Seventh Circuit Court wrongly held that because the fi****ms prohibited by PICA are to be considered “military” weapons, they do not enjoy Second Amendment protection.

“The Supreme Court set the rules of a historical and traditional Second Amendment analysis in its 2022 Bruen decision. Because the Bevis opinion is so against the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bruen, we are hopeful the Court will accept our Petition and reverse the Seventh Circuit’s egregiously erroneous decision.” said David Sigale, ISRA General Counsel and lead Plaintiffs’ counsel in Harrel.

At the same time, these cases are continuing in the Southern District of Illinois, where discovery and expert witness disclosures have been ongoing, and a trial date is expected to be set soon.

“We would like the Supreme Court to step in now and hopefully prevent us having to go to trial using the faulty legal standard imposed on us by Bevis,” Sigale stated. “But we, along with the counsel in the other three consolidated cases pending before the Court, will be ready to make our case that the PICA is unconstitutional either way.”