{"id":122085,"date":"2021-06-04T22:07:29","date_gmt":"2021-06-05T05:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.46.6.243\/?p=122085"},"modified":"2021-06-04T22:07:29","modified_gmt":"2021-06-05T05:07:29","slug":"fpc-wins-assault-weapon-lawsuit-in-historic-victory-for-second-amendment-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=122085","title":{"rendered":"FPC Wins \u201cAssault Weapon\u201d Lawsuit in Historic Victory for Second Amendment Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>San Diego, CA&#8230;.Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced that Judge Roger T. Benitez of the Southern District of California has issued an <a href=\"https:\/\/d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net\/firearmspolicycoalition\/pages\/5381\/attachments\/original\/1622850515\/Miller_v_Bonta_Opinion.pdf?1622850515\">opinion<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/miller\"><em>Miller v. Bonta<\/em><\/a>\u00a0(previously\u00a0<em>Miller v. Becerra<\/em>), holding that California\u2019s tyrannical ban on so-called \u201cassault weapons\u201d is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. The opinion, along with other filings in this case, can be viewed at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.assaultweaponlawsuit.com\/\">AssaultWeaponLawsuit.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailytide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/miller.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-9490\" src=\"https:\/\/dailytide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/miller.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"320\" height=\"166\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/2a-lawsuit-ca-assault-weapon-ban\">In 2019<\/a>, FPC developed and filed\u00a0<em>Miller v. Becerra<\/em>,\u00a0a federal Second Amendment challenge to California\u2019s Assault Weapons Control Act (AWCA) ban on common semiautomatic arms with certain characteristics, including those with ammunition magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds. Throughout the lawsuit, FPC argued that the State\u2019s ban prohibits arms that are constitutionally protected, no more lethal than other certain arms that are not banned, and commonly possessed and used for lawful purposes in the vast majority of the United States.<\/p>\n<p>In the opinion, the Court ruled that many categories of firearms California bans as so-called \u201cassault weapons\u201d are protected by the Second Amendment, and that \u201c[t]he Second Amendment stands as a shield from government imposition of that policy.\u201d It went on to order an injunction against \u201cDefendant Attorney General Rob Bonta, and his officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys, and those persons in active concert or participation with him, and those duly sworn state peace officers and federal law enforcement officers who gain knowledge of this injunction order or know of the existence of this injunction order,\u201d preventing them \u201cfrom implementing or enforcing\u201d the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>California Penal Code \u00a7\u00a7 30515(a)(1) through (8) (defining an \u201cassault weapon\u201d by prohibited features);<\/li>\n<li>\u00a7 30800 (deeming those \u201cassault weapons\u201d a public nuisance);<\/li>\n<li>\u00a7 30915 (regulating those \u201cassault weapons\u201d obtained by bequest or inheritance);<\/li>\n<li>\u00a7 30925 (restricting importation of those \u201cassault weapons\u201d by new residents);<\/li>\n<li>\u00a7 30945 (restricting use of those registered \u201cassault weapons\u201d) ;<\/li>\n<li>\u00a730950 (prohibiting possession of those \u201cassault weapons\u201d by minors); and,<\/li>\n<li>the penalty provisions \u00a7\u00a7 30600, 30605 and 30800 as applied to \u201cassault weapons\u201d defined in Code \u00a7\u00a7 30515(a)(1) through (8).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cIn his order today, Judge Benitez held what millions of Americans already know to be true: Bans on so-called \u2018assault weapons\u2019 are unconstitutional and cannot stand,\u201d said FPC President Brandon Combs. \u201cThis historic victory for individual liberty is just the beginning, and FPC will continue to aggressively challenge these laws throughout the United States. We look forward to continuing this challenge at the Ninth Circuit and, should it be necessary, the Supreme Court.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are delighted with Judge Benitez\u2019s careful consideration of the law and facts in this case,\u201d commented Adam Kraut, FPC\u2019s Senior Director of Legal Operations. \u201cThe State\u2019s ban on these common semi-automatic firearms with common characteristics flies in the face of the Constitution, Supreme Court precedent, and the natural right to keep and bear arms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt trial, we presented dispositive evidence that the term \u2018assault weapon\u2019 has always been an arbitrary label used by anti-gun governments to ban constitutionally protected firearms,\u201d explained FPC attorney George Lee. \u201cIn the end, the State\u2019s rationale for banning these firearms simply could not hold up. This win is a watershed moment for civil rights, and will restore liberty to countless Californians that have been subjected to gross tyranny for years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile this victory is most certainly a valuable one, it\u2019s also important to understand how impactful this decision will be in restoring Second Amendment rights not only in California, but across the entire country,\u201d noted FPC Attorney John Dillon. \u201cThis landmark trial win points the way to victory everywhere these unconstitutional bans exist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are pleased that the district court engaged in the detailed and thoughtful analysis required when a fundamental constitutional right is at stake,\u201d explained FPC appellate counsel Erik Jaffe. \u201cUnlike some appellate decisions in this area, Judge Benitez held the government to its burdens of proof, recognized the high hurdles the government must overcome when burdening the right to keep and bear arms, and gave the Second Amendment the weight and respect it deserves. Such a standard was rightfully unable to be met by such a broad and oppressive law, leading to a huge victory for the People, their right to keep and bear arms, and FPC. We now must urge the Court of Appeals to give the same respect to that express constitutional right, rather than engage in the ad hoc balancing and functionally zero weighting of a fundamental right that is too often the norm in Second Amendment cases.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Individuals who want to support the\u00a0<em>Miller v. Bonta<\/em>\u00a0case can become a member of the FPC Grassroots Army for just $25 at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/joinfpc.org\/\">JoinFPC.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Firearms Policy Coalition and its FPC Law team are the nation\u2019s next-generation advocates leading the Second Amendment litigation and research space. Some FPC legal actions include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/20\/20-843\/166912\/20210121154400654_20-843-FPC-Amicus%20Brief.pdf\">A brief supporting certiorari in\u00a0<em>NYSRPA v. Bruen<\/em><\/a>, which was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/supreme-court-grants-cert-petition-in-fpc-supported-case-new-york-carry\">granted by the U.S. Supreme Court<\/a><\/li>\n<li>A challenge to Illinois\u2019 ban on handgun carry by adults under 21 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/meyer\"><em>Meyer v. Raoul<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>A challenge to Georgia&#8217;s ban on handgun carry by adults under 21 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/baughcum\"><em>Baughcum v. Jackson<\/em><\/a><em>)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>A challenge to Tennessee\u2019s ban on handgun carry by adults under 21 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/bassett\"><em>Basset v. Slatery<\/em><\/a><em>)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>A challenge to Maryland\u2019s ban on handgun carry (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/call\"><em>Call v. Jones<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>A challenge to New Jersey\u2019s ban on handgun carry (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/bennett\"><em>Bennett v. Davis<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>A challenge to New York City\u2019s ban on handgun carry (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/greco\"><em>Greco v. New York City<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>A challenge to Pennsylvania\u2019s ban on handgun carry by adults under 21 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/lara\"><em>Lara v. Evanchick<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>A challenge to the federal ban on the sale of handguns and handgun ammunition to adults under 21 years of age (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/reese\"><em>Reese v. ATF<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>A challenge to Maryland\u2019s ban on so-called \u201cassault weapons\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/bianchi\"><em>Bianchi v. Frosh<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Challenge to California\u2019s ban on so-called \u201cassault weapons\u201d (<a href=\"http:\/\/firearmspolicy.org\/miller\"><em>Miller v. Calif. Att\u2019y General<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>A challenge to California\u2019s handgun \u201croster\u201d, microstamping, and self-manufacturing ban laws (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/renna\"><em>Renna v. Bonta<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>A challenge to Pennsylvania\u2019s laws completely denying the right to carry to individuals who were previously granted relief from prior non-violent convictions and are not currently prohibited from possessing firearms (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.firearmspolicy.org\/suarez\"><em>Suarez v. Evanchick<\/em><\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For more on these cases and other legal action initiatives, visit\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/fpclegal.org\/\">FPCLegal.org<\/a>\u00a0and follow FPC on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gunpolicy\/\">Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gunpolicy\">Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunpolicy\">Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCQwal7KaCKPDWarooZ3p4Kw\">YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Firearms Policy Coalition\u00a0<\/strong>(<a href=\"http:\/\/firearmspolicy.org\/\">firearmspolicy.org<\/a>), a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization, exists to create a world of maximal human liberty, defend constitutional rights, advance individual liberty, and restore freedom. FPC\u2019s efforts are focused on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and adjacent issues including freedom of speech, due process, unlawful searches and seizures, separation of powers, asset forfeitures, privacy, encryption, and limited government. The FPC team are next-generation advocates working to achieve the Organization\u2019s strategic objectives through litigation, research, scholarly publications, amicus briefing, legislative and regulatory action, grassroots activism, education, outreach, and other programs. FPC Law (<a href=\"http:\/\/fpclaw.org\/\">FPCLaw.org<\/a>), the nation\u2019s largest public interest legal team focused on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, lead the Second Amendment litigation and research space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>San Diego, CA&#8230;.Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced that Judge Roger T. Benitez of the Southern District of California has issued an opinion\u00a0in\u00a0Miller v. Bonta\u00a0(previously\u00a0Miller v. Becerra), holding that California\u2019s tyrannical ban on so-called \u201cassault weapons\u201d is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. The opinion, along with other filings in this case, can be viewed at\u00a0AssaultWeaponLawsuit.com. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":122086,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,16,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-law-enforcement","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/miller.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=122085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122085\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/122086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=122085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=122085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=122085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}