On Friday, June 4, a San Diego federal court judge overturned California's ban on assault weapons, reports City News Service.
U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez ruled that "the state's definition of illegal military-style rifles unlawfully deprives law-abiding Californians of weapons commonly allowed in most other states."
Benitez, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, continued, "Like the Swiss Army knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment... Yet, the state of California makes it a crime to have an AR-15-type rifle. Therefore, this Court declares the California statutes to be unconstitutional."
He issued a 30-day stay of his order so Attorney General Rob Bonta will have the opportunity to appeal the ruling in Miller v. Bonta.
Bonta announced he would filing an appeal, calling the decision "fundamentally flawed."
"There is no sound basis in law, fact, or common sense for equating assault rifles with Swiss Army knives — especially on Gun Violence Awareness Day and after the recent shootings in our own California communities," said Bonta.
Governor Gavin Newsom also commented on the ruling, calling the decision "a direct threat to public safety and the lives of innocent Californians, period."
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