Federal Judge Strikes Down California's Assault Weapons Ban for the Second Time

A federal judge has overturned California's decades-old ban on assault weapons, ruling that the restriction is "extreme" and unconstitutional. US District Judge Roger T. Benitez argued that the ban infringes on residents' Second Amendment rights and lacks historical precedent, as required by a Supreme Court decision last year. The state had argued that the ban aimed to prevent mass shootings, but Benitez countered that many of the banned firearms are commonly used by law-abiding citizens for self-defense. California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the decision, while the judge stayed his injunction for 10 days to allow the state to appeal. California Attorney General Rob Bonta immediately filed a notice of appeal, calling the decision "dangerous and misguided."