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California officials vow to fight back after federal judge overturns state’s 3-decade old assault weapons ban

AR-15 semi-automatic guns are on display for sale at on June 17, 2016 in Springville, Utah. (George Frey/Getty Images)

California officials are vowing to fight back after a federal judge overturned the state’s 30-year-old ban on assault weapons.

In ruling the ban unconstitutional, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez compared the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle to a Swiss Army knife, calling it “good for both home and battle.”


Benitez, of the Southern District of California, issued a permanent injunction against the law’s enforcement but stayed it for 30 days to give the state a chance to appeal.

California is one of seven states, plus Washington, D.C, that ban assault weapons, according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.