A federal appeals court has ruled that New Jersey's ban on AR-15 style rifles and high-capacity magazines violates the Second Amendment. This decision applies to the Third Circuit, which includes Pennsylvania and Delaware. The ruling creates a circuit split, meaning different federal courts have reached opposing interpretations on this issue. This divergence makes the matter ripe for review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is already considering similar cases from Connecticut and Cook County regarding assault rifle bans. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill condemned the ruling, calling it dangerous and out of step with public opinion. The Third Circuit judges, with a majority appointed by Republicans, decided the case en banc by a 10-to-5 vote. The majority opinion, written by a Biden-appointed judge, Arianna Freeman, found that AR-15s are protected "Arms" under the Second Amendment. The court rejected the idea that these firearms are not covered by the amendment or that they are outside the historical tradition of firearm regulation. Dissenting judges argued that such weapons are outside the scope of the Second Amendment due to their capacity for ordinary self-defense needs.