Attorney General Bonta Supports Massachusetts’ Assault Weapons Ban

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, as part of a coalition of 18 attorneys general filed an amicus brief in support of Massachusetts’ assault weapons and large-capacity magazine ban. The brief, filed in Capen v. Campbell, urges the First Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court’s ruling that the law was consistent with the Second Amendment.

“States play an essential role in promoting public safety, and that role must include combating threats of mass shootings and senseless gun violence,” said Attorney General Bonta. “In our ongoing commitment to stand behind commonsense gun safety measures for all Americans, we urge the court to uphold Massachusetts’ ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to defend these life-saving public safety measures.”

In today’s brief, the coalition stresses the importance of protecting citizens through assault weapons and large-capacity magazine restrictions. States across the nation protect their citizens through the enforcement of similar laws because those laws promote public safety and save lives. A growing body of research demonstrates that banning assault weapons and large-capacity magazines can help to prevent gun violence — particularly mass shootings. Researchers analyzing public mass shootings from 1982 through 2011 found that both state and federal bans on assault weapons resulted in decreased rates of mass shooting fatalities. Large-capacity magazine bans have also led to a reduction in mass shootings in the states that have adopted them.

The coalition asserts that the lower court’s ruling is consistent with the text of the Second Amendment and the nation’s historical tradition of limiting access to especially dangerous weapons and accessories not commonly used for self-defense. Massachusetts’ assault weapon and large-capacity magazine restrictions are in line with measures historically taken by other states and fall comfortably within states’ authority to regulate firearms. California has been a leader among states that have enacted commonsense laws concerning the use, purchase, transfer, or possession of firearms and firearm accessories, and that have long exercised their power to promote safety, prevent crime, and minimize gun violence within their borders.

 Attorney General Bonta stands with partners throughout the state and nation to continue tackling the issue of gun violence strategically and aggressively by:

• Defending California’s commonsense gun laws, including its assault weapons ban and restrictions on large-capacity magazines.
• Educating the public on gun violence prevention through the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, including through the first-ever data report issued by the office to provide a robust review of gun violence data in California and throughout the U.S. and to help guide policy and strategy discussions related to reducing gun violence.
• Advocating for gun laws including by sponsoring Assembly Bill 1594 to increase accountability for the firearm industry, working to strengthen federal laws to protect the public from ghost guns, and successfully defending California’s laws to prevent gun violence.
• Seizing guns from prohibited persons in the Armed and Prohibited Persons System, and through multiagency sweeps in the Bay Area and Los Angeles County, conducting operations targeting individuals attempting to illegally purchase guns, and collaborating with local law enforcement partners.
• Ending the sale of illegal firearms through litigation against ghost gun retailers, and by putting a stop to the sale of illegal assault weapons in Orange County.

Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of New Jersey, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia in filing the brief.

A copy of the brief can be found here.