Second Amendment advocacy groups carry the banner of gun rights as the rest of us go about our daily lives. Thankfully, they are increasingly successful due to tireless efforts and the continued support of the shooting public.
Now, Gun Owners of America (GOA) is the latest to celebrate a victory for the Bill of Rights. The group and its allies filed suit against the state of Virginia over five years ago to challenge its universal background check law regarding handgun sales.
That controversial statute is no more.
Court found the restriction on handgun sales purely arbitrary
On Thursday, the Twenty-Fourth Judicial Circuit of Virginia struck down the provision at issue. Judge F. Patrick Yeatts declared that the law was beset with problems, including the random selection of an adult age group to deny fundamental freedoms to.
“Here, the Court finds no legitimate government interest in exempting individuals ages 18 to 20 from background checks while requiring them for those over the age of 20,” Yeatts wrote. “Such a distinction would be as arbitrary as exempting any age range, such as 57 to 59, without justification.”
Gun rights group takes a victory lap after Virginia court battle
GOA Senior Vice President Erich Pratt lauded the decision in a statement. “This victory is fantastic news. Universal background checks are a massive infringement on the rights of law-abiding citizens. This victory will no doubt play a major role in next month’s election.”
Indeed, it took five years of litigation in Wilson v. Hanley to reach the finish line, and there’s still the chance that Virginia’s anti-gunners will come back with a slightly modified proposal and hope it passes judicial muster.
But for now, it’s time to pop the cork and celebrate a successful day in court that was five years in the making.
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