Attorneys argue requiring gun permits is unconstitutional

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - Two public defenders from Peoria County say requiring permits to carry firearms outside the home is unconstitutional.

The Peoria Journal Star reports that defense attorneys Chandra Justice and Mark Rose have filed motions in several cases in which defendants are charged with felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Illinois allows carrying concealed firearms with a permit. Justice and Rose argue requiring a permit violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms. They say their clients work and live in unsafe neighborhoods and have a right to protect themselves.

Peoria County State's Attorney Jerry Brady's office says the premise is flawed because it relies on a federal appeals court case from Hawaii where there is no mechanism for carrying weapons.

The motions are scheduled for late December hearings.