The Department of Justice (DOJ) Wednesday challenging Virginia’s recently enacted assault weapons ban, arguing the law violates the Second Amendment by restricting the sale and purchase of commonly owned semiautomatic rifles.
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The lawsuit contends that Virginia’s Senate Bill 749 unlawfully infringes on the constitutional rights of residents seeking to buy or sell AR-15-style rifles.
“In summary, SB749 infringes the right of law-abiding Virginians to purchase and sell AR-15 style rifles and therefore violates the Second Amendment,” the complaint states. “Thus, Defendants have acted and will continue to act in blatant disregard of the constitutional rights of the citizens of Virginia.”
Virginia is among a small number of states that have enacted restrictions on AR-15-style rifles and other semiautomatic firearms.
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The Justice Department’s legal challenge comes one day after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear cases challenging similar AR-15 bans in Connecticut and Illinois.
Earlier this year, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said she expected the Supreme Court to conclude that AR-15-style rifles are protected by the Constitution.
“We intend to make sure they do that,” Dhillon said during a May interview on “Just the News, No Noise.”
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