Washington District Court Denies Preliminary Injunction of “Assault Weapon” Ban in NRA-ILA Supported Case

On September 26, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington denied an NRA-backed request for a preliminary injunction against Washington State’s “assault weapon” ban. The State’s regulation bans the sale of myriad firearms, including popular models like the AR-15.

The court held that to be “arms” under the Second Amendment, weapons must be commonly owned for self-defense and well-tailored for that purpose. AR-15s fail this test, according to the court, because despite being commonly owned for self-defense, they are better suited for offensive combat.

The court also noted, without providing any analysis, that the State’s proffered historical analogs—including restrictions on the sale of certain weapons and on the manner in which they could be carried—likely weigh in favor of upholding the ban.

The decision in this case, Banta v. Ferguson, will likely be appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org for future updates on NRA-ILA’s ongoing efforts to defend your constitutional rights.