A Virginia judge issued one interim injunction On Thursday, Virginia State Police were blocked from enforcing a newly enacted assault weapons ban, stopping the law six days before it was due to take effect.
Lancaster County District Court Judge John Martin ruled in favor of the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction regarding the law Crump versus Katz. The case was brought by gun rights activist John Crump and several gun rights organizations against Colonel Jeffery Katz, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police. Judge Martin noted this Senate Bill 749 likely conflicts with Article I, Section 13 of the Virginia Constitution, which protects the right of Virginians to keep and bear arms. The preliminary injunction runs until December 31, 2026 or until a final order is issued.
Attorney General Jay Jones said that the Commonwealth would take immediate action to challenge the ruling. “This ruling is disappointing and puts our communities at risk,” Jones said. “We will continue to vigorously defend Virginia’s assault weapons ban … and uphold the laws designed to keep Virginians safe.”
The plaintiffs argued in their memorandum that the prohibited firearms, including AR-15-style rifles and standard-capacity magazines, are in common use throughout the country and therefore cannot be banned under the Act Frame established by the U.S. Supreme Court interpreting the right to keep and bear arms.
Governor Abigail Spanberger signed Senate Bill 749 come into force in May. The legislation makes selling, purchasing, importing, manufacturing or transferring assault weapons a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia and includes a separate restriction on magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds.
