A U.S. appeals court has ruled that California’s ban on the sale of semiautomatic weapons to adults under the age of 21 is unconstitutional, according to a report from the Associated Press. The ruling came on Wednesday, swiftly reversing a California law that has prohibited adults under 21 from purchasing semiautomatic rifles.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the decision was a major victory for proponents of Second Amendment rights.
Interestingly, one of the three judges in the federal panel, Judge Ryan D. Nelson, was appointed by President Donald J. Trump.
The WSJ reported that Nelson stated in his opinion, “America would not exist without the heroism of the young adults who fought and died in our revolutionary army. Today we reaffirm that our Constitution still protects the right that enabled their sacrifice: the right of young adults to keep and bear arms.”
This is not the first major win for the Second Amendment in the Golden State. In January, a Ninth Circuit court struck down an order in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties that shut down gun stores and shooting ranges during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
In that ruling, Judge Lawrence VanDyke stated that the Second Amendment would mean nothing if the “government can prohibit all persons from acquiring any firearms or ammunition.”
According to the WSJ, Wednesday’s overturned age restriction on firearm purchases was implemented in 2019 when Gov. Gavin Newson, D-Calif., passed the measure in cohesion with Democrat lawmakers in Sacramento.
Wednesday’s 2-1 ruling was a resounding victory for the Firearms Policy Coalition, who brought the case to court, according to a report from Politico.
