A US federal judge overturned California's 32-year-old ban on assault weapons on Friday, describing it as a "failed experiment" and prompting scathing criticism from the state's governor and attorney general. California has prohibited the sale of assault weapons since 1989. "It is declared that these statutes unconstitutionally infringe the Second Amendment rights of California citizens," the court filing concluded. Seven states, including California, and the District of Columbia have enacted laws banning assault weapons, according to the Giffords Law Center, a gun-control group. California Governor Gavin Newsom described Friday's overturning of the ban on assault weapons as a direct threat to public safety and called it a "disgusting slap" in the face to those who have lost loved ones to gun violence.

Source: Irish Independent June 05, 2021 13:30 UTC