Preliminary injunction denied by US District Court judge
HARTFORD—Connecticut’s attorney general released a statement following the denial of a motion for preliminary injunction sought by the National Association for Gun Rights. The group was challenging Connecticut’s assault weapon and large capacity magazine ban. Today’s decision means Connecticut’s laws remain in effect.
Last September, a federal lawsuit was filed by the Southbury-based Connecticut Citizens Defense League, a non-profit with more than 43,000 members, the national Second Amendment Foundation and three individuals, including two former state correction officers.
The ATF ruling published on Jan. 31 [2023] reclassifies “certain other firearms” as rifles, that are not rifles, shotguns or pistols, according to CCDL President Holly Sullivan.
“ATF’s new rule impacts thousands of Connecticut residents who are otherwise law-abiding, but who have now found themselves facing possible felony prosecution through no fault of their own,” Sullivan said Monday in a statement. “While residents of other states are able to register these firearms with the ATF or change the short barrels for longer ones to make them legal, the ATF has stated that it will not permit any such registrations from Connecticut residents due to Connecticut’s ‘assault weapons’ ban.”
We will continue to vigorously defend our state’s assault weapon and large capacity magazine bans and commonsense gun safety laws against this challenge, and all others. We will not allow gun industry lobbyists from outside our state to come here and jeopardize the safety of our children and communities,” said Attorney General Tong.
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