As we've been reporting here at Bearing Arms, a growing number of prosecutors and sheriffs across Virginia are declaring they won't be enforcing the state's ban on "assault firearms" and "large capacity" magazines if the laws takes effect on July 1. In addition to legislation prohibiting the sale, manufacture, and transfer of these commonly-owned items, there's also a law set to take effect that will ban the carrying of so-called assault firearms in most public spaces.
Several Commonwealth's Attorneys and sheriffs, however, have said they believe the new laws are unconstitutional and have no plans to enforce the measures. Now anti-2A Attorney General Jay Jones has weighed in on those officials willing to defy state law in order to protect our right to keep and bear arms.
“Gun violence is a key driver of violent crime, and the leading cause of death for young people in our Commonwealth,” Jones said in a statement to Virginia Scope. “The General Assembly passed and the Governor signed critical legislation to reduce violent crime and protect our communities. Commonwealth’s Attorneys are elected to enforce our laws, which is what we expect them to do when these laws take effect on July 1.”
"Gun violence" is the leading cause of death for older teens, including adults 18 and 19-years-old, but only if you lump suicides and homicides in together. The "assault firearms" target by Virginia Democrats, meanwhile, are rarely used in crimes of any kind. Magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds, which is the arbitrary limit Democrats in the state have come up with, are probably more common in criminal activity than AR-15s and other banned firearms, but they're also far more broadly owned and used by lawful gun owners.
“Governor Spanberger believes that firearms designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong on Virginia streets,” a spokesperson for the governor said in a statement to Virginia Scope. “This important step to protect families, law enforcement officers, and communities from gun violence was passed by majorities in the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor. The people of Virginia must be able to trust that all Commonwealth’s Attorneys will uphold the rule of law and keep Virginians safe.”
Democrats were singing a much different tune just a few years ago, when Commonwealth's Attorneys in Fairfax, Arlington, and Norfolk announced they would no longer be prosecuting misdemeanor marijuana cases. After the Virginia Supreme Court signaled that judges would have to sign off on such a policy, then-Gov. Ralph Northam signed a bill into law that requires judges grant a motion to dismiss criminal cases cases filed by a Commonwealth's Attorney.
Though the bill was written in response to the question about enforcing laws prohibiting the possession of small amounts of marijuana, it applies to every criminal charge in Virginia. That means that neither Spanberger or Jones have no way of forcing prosecutors to enforce the gun and magazine ban if it takes effect on July 1, and those Commonwealth's Attorneys will still be upholding the rule of law if they choose not to prosecute anyone for violating the ban.
Virginia Democrats may decide to revisit their criminal justice reform next session and repeal the law that empowers prosecutors to use their discretion, but for the moment these Commonwealth's Attorneys are on solid legal ground... and Democrats have only themselves to blame.
Editor’s Note: The radical Left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
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