Overview
- Justice Department lawyers filed a federal suit Tuesday against Denver, arguing the city’s 1989 ordinance unlawfully bans AR-15–style rifles by tying legality to magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.
- A second complaint arrived Wednesday targeting Colorado’s 2013 law that makes it a crime to sell, transfer, or possess magazines holding over 15 rounds, which the DOJ calls standard equipment for many rifles.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Civil Rights chief Harmeet Dhillon say both policies violate Supreme Court rulings in Heller and Bruen by outlawing arms and accessories they argue are in common use for lawful purposes.
- The DOJ’s new Second Amendment Section is leading the cases and asks the court to halt enforcement and require corrective policies, while Denver’s mayor and city attorney and Colorado’s attorney general vow to defend the measures as public‑safety laws.
- If judges issue injunctions, Denver police would have to stop citing people for AR-15–style rifles with standard magazines and the state’s over‑15‑round magazine limit could be paused, setting up appeals that could influence similar laws nationwide.