Federal judge stops Colorado gun law, citing Supreme Court Bruen ruling.
Federal Judge Blocks Gun Control Law in Colorado
A federal judge in Colorado has made a significant ruling, blocking a gun control law that restricts firearm sales to individuals aged 21 and older. The judge, Phillip Brimmer, who presides over the U.S. District of Colorado, sided with a firearms advocacy group, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, which filed a lawsuit to prevent the enforcement of Senate Bill 169.
The law, which went into effect on Monday, was halted by Judge Brimmer, who determined that it contradicted a recent Supreme Court decision, Bruen v. New York Rifle & Pistol Association, from 2022.
Gun Rights Group Challenges Age Limit Law
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners not only contested the age limit law but also challenged another provision that would establish a waiting period for all firearm purchases in the state. Judge Brimmer has yet to rule on the waiting period measure, which is set to take effect in October.
In his 44-page order, Judge Brimmer referenced the Bruen decision, stating, “The Court has made clear that individual rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights and made applicable against the States through the Fourteenth Amendment have the same scope as against the Federal Government.” He further noted that the historical understanding of the Second Amendment at the time of the 14th Amendment’s adoption remains an “open question,” but the state failed to present evidence that a complete ban on gun sales was ever consistent with the right to bear arms.
Earlier this year, Democrats in the Colorado legislature passed several gun control measures, including regulations on ghost guns and expanding the eligibility criteria for extreme risk protection orders under existing red flag laws.
Taylor Rhodes, the executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, had previously stated their intention to file lawsuits against any laws they deemed to violate Second Amendment rights, particularly in light of the increased scrutiny on gun control measures following the Bruen decision. Rhodes remarked, “Today, our crystal ball became a reality,” after the judge’s ruling.
The plaintiffs in the case are two Colorado residents aged between 18 and 21 who sought to own firearms for self-defense.
The age restriction law made it a Class 2 misdemeanor for individuals under 21 to purchase a gun and for private dealers to sell firearms to those under 21. Licensed dealers who violated the law by selling to individuals under 21 could face a Class 1 misdemeanor charge. However, exceptions were made for members of the military and law enforcement.
The Washington Examiner reached out to representatives of Governor Jared Polis (D-CO), who signed the legislation.
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