The U.S. Department of Justice files a lawsuit against Colorado, challenging state restrictions on certain firearms and “large capacity” magazines. According to the DOJ, Colorado law makes it a misdemeanor to possess or sell “assault weapons” that can hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition, and DOJ argues that the provisions violate the Second Amendment.
The DOJ’s complaint contends that the challenged limits unlawfully restrict weapons or magazines that it says are protected because they are “in common use for lawful purposes.” The lawsuit disputes Colorado’s authority to criminalize possession or sale of these items based on magazine capacity and characterizes the state’s approach as incompatible with Second Amendment protections.
Reporting ties the dispute to Colorado’s post–Aurora shooting policy actions, while DOJ positions the case as a constitutional challenge to the state’s ban and the magazine threshold. The filings ask the court to rule the provisions unlawful under the Second Amendment. Colorado has not been described in the provided excerpts as agreeing with the DOJ’s allegations, and the outcome is pending.
