Justice Department Challenges Virginia Assault-Weapons Ban in Federal Court
The Justice Department has sued Virginia over the state’s new assault-weapons restrictions, arguing the law violates the Second Amendment by banning the purchase and sale of commonly owned semiautomatic rifles. DOJ filed the lawsuit July 1 against the Commonwealth of Virginia and Virginia State Police.
The case lands as Virginia is already facing multiple state-court challenges over the law. Judges in Lancaster and Washington counties issued preliminary injunctions affecting enforcement, while Virginia’s attorney general’s office says the law remains in force and that the injunctions only restrict enforcement by named officials.
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That distinction matters for gun shops and buyers because the legal status is not simple. State police are not enforcing the restrictions statewide for now, but state officials say the law itself has not been invalidated. The next phase is both legal and practical. Courts must decide whether Virginia can enforce the law, and businesses must navigate the uncertainty until clearer orders arrive.
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