A judge in Virginia has temporarily prohibited state police from enforcing a ban on so-called ‘assault weapons’ scheduled to take effect on July 1. Lancaster County Circuit Judge John Martin issued the preliminary injunction, siding with Gun Owners of America, the Virginia Citizens Defense League, and resident John Crump. “The preliminary injunction prevents Virginia State Police from enforcing the law through at least Dec. 31, or until the court issues a final ruling,” the National Association for Gun Rights stated. BIG NEWS IN VIRGINIA! A Virginia judge has blocked enforcement of the state's so-called "assault weapons" ban before it could take effect on July 1. The preliminary injunction prevents Virginia State Police from enforcing the law through at least Dec. 31, or until the court… pic.twitter.com/9RtC9L8Xs9 — National Association for Gun Rights (@gunrights) June 25, 2026 WTKR has more: SB749 bans the sale and transfer of what Virginia defines as assault weapons and magazines that carry over 15 rounds, with some exceptions. Violations are a Class 1 misdemeanor. This new assault weapons ban was set to take effect on July 1. Those who already own these weapons will not be impacted. Attorney General Jay Jones called the ruling “disappointing” in a statement sent to News 3. “This ruling is disappointing and puts our communities at risk. The Commonwealth will urgently file a motion to stay this ruling and appeal this temporary injunction. We will continue to vigorously defend Virginia’s assault weapons ban and magazine capacity restrictions and uphold the laws designed to keep Virginians safe,” Jones said. The plaintiffs argued the ban “conflicts with a provision of the Virginia Constitution enshrining the right to keep and bear arms,” Courthouse News Service noted. “Article I, Section 13 is the commonwealth’s recognition of a pre-existing right with which Virginians were endowed by their creator, and it operates as a fixed limitation on the power of government to enact legislation affecting firearms,” the plaintiffs wrote in their motion, according to the outlet. “Our injunction prevents the Virginia State Police from enforcing the firearm, magazine, and carry bans while our case moves through the courts. As it currently stands, the temporary injunction delays enforcement from July 1, 2026, until December 31, 2026,” Gun Owners of America wrote. Our injunction prevents the Virginia State Police from enforcing the firearm, magazine, and carry bans while our case moves through the courts. As it currently stands, the temporary injunction delays enforcement from July 1, 2026, until December 31, 2026. https://t.co/NbYCf0zQg9 pic.twitter.com/z2NI7Qjwrd — Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) June 25, 2026 Courthouse News Service shared further: Martin denied the commonwealth’s attempt to separate the state court’s analysis from the analysis the Supreme Court requires of federal courts following its 2022 decision in N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen. Martin held that the federal analysis — which requires the government to demonstrate that the challenged gun regulation is rooted in the historical tradition of firearm regulations rather than engaging in interest-balancing or policy-laden analyses — is instructive. The plaintiffs rebutted the commonwealth’s assertion that the weapons at issue aren’t in common use and are thus not the bearable arms protected by the Second Amendment. “They are not just common, they are ubiquitous,” attorney David Browne of Spiro & Browne, representing the plaintiffs, told the judge. “The challenged statutes in this case concern some of the most commonly used arms and magazines in the nation.” The commonwealth argued that the guns included in the ban are akin to military weapons that are especially dangerous. Martin asked why the ban doesn’t apply to all military weapons, including M1 Carbines and handguns, which remain legal. The commonwealth argued the plaintiffs’ theory would essentially give Virginians the right to bear any arms, including grenade launchers. “There is no absolute right to bear arms,” Deputy Solicitor General Trent Taylor said. The post Enforcement Of Blue State ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban Halted By Judge appeared first on 100PercentFedUp.com.