BOSTON (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging Massachusetts' ban on assault weapons.
U.S. District Judge William Young said in his ruling released Friday that assault weapons and large capacity magazines banned by the state in its 1998 law fall outside the "scope of the personal right to 'bear arms' under the Second Amendment."
Young also upheld Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey's enforcement notice to gun sellers and manufacturers clarifying what constitutes a "copy" or "duplicate" weapon under the 1998 law.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey released a statement Friday morning:
"Today's decision upholding the Assault Weapons Ban vindicates the right of the people of Massachusetts to protect themselves from these weapons of war and my office's efforts to enforce the law. Strong gun laws save lives, and we will not be intimidated by the gun lobby in our efforts to end the sale of assault weapons and protect our communities and schools. Families across the country should take heart in this victory."
#BREAKING Court upholds our enforcement of the Massachusetts assault weapons ban. Declares that the AR-15 and other assault weapons "fall outside the scope of the Second Amendment and may be banned." https://t.co/H3ed25UPqo pic.twitter.com/YPG3MWLC0x
— Maura Healey (@MassAGO) April 6, 2018
The lawsuit was filed last year by the Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts and other groups who said the law infringed on their rights under the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Gun Owners' Action League (GOAL) Executive Director, Jim Wallace released a statement on the decision Tuesday afternoon:
"What we find frightening is not just the gun issue, which we will continue to talk about, but one of the scarier things that everyone should be concerned about is that this judge blatantly gave the Attorney General's office unbridled authority to interpret any law in any way they want."
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Young said Massachusetts is "free to ban these weapons and large capacity magazines."
WATCH LIVEMassachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey discusses the decision to uphold the assault weapons ban.
Posted by Boston 25 News on Friday, April 6, 2018
Associated Press