The McLean County state's attorney said Tuesday that he will no longer press charges against people who violate Illinois gun laws that he considers unconstitutional.
Ronald Dozier's decision appears to mean that people can carry guns in the central Illinois county so long as they are peaceful and don't threaten anyone.
"Our message is this: We will no longer use the power and authority of our office to criminalize and punish decent, otherwise law-abiding citizens who choose to exercise the rights granted to them by the Second Amendment of the United States' Constitution to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and their families," Dozier said in a four-page statement explaining his decision.
Dozier said he wouldn't enforce unconstitutional parts of the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act, which requires a background check before someone can get a card permitting them to buy a gun, and statutes on unlawful use of a weapon, which despite the name has more to do with carrying a concealed gun than firing one.
Dozier is a former judge and state's attorney who was appointed the interim state's attorney in McLean County last year when the incumbent resigned. He leaves office later this year.
"I know this is going to get some flack and I know that people have legitimate arguments both for and against what I've done, but it is a symbolic gesture. I'm not going to be here a whole lot longer," Dozier told WJBC radio.
The decision not to prosecute violations does not mean people can't be arrested.
McLean County Sheriff Mike Emery told The (Bloomington) Pantagraph he agrees with Dozier's views but "we shall continue to enforce the laws of the state of Illinois as they currently exist."
Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who does not supervise or oversee county prosecutors, had no comment on Dozier's announcement.
The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence did not immediately return messages seeking comment Tuesday evening.
Southern Illinois' tiny Edwards County is also adopting a policy of not prosecuting violations, said State's Attorney Michael Valentine.
Dozier called the state's FOID card requirement "draconian" and pointed out that Illinois is the only state that still bars people from carrying concealed weapons.
"The result of most gun control laws is that law-abiding citizens go defenseless while criminal thugs are armed," he wrote.
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