Judge rules against third attempt to block Washington state's ban on sale of 'assault weapons'

For the third time in as many months, a judge has rejected an attempt to block Washington state’s ban on so-called “assault weapons.”

On Friday, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Allyson Zipp rejected a request in Guardian Arms v. Inslee for a preliminary injunction blocking the implementation of House Bill 1240, which took effect on April 25.

HB 1240 prohibits the sale, distribution, manufacture and importation of more than 50 types of guns, including AR-15 and AK-47-type rifles. The measure does not bar the possession of such weapons by people who already have them.

On June 23, Zipp blocked a similar motion in the same case.

On June 6, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Bryan also rejected a request to block Washington’s newly-implemented law prohibiting the sale of assault weapons.

“My legal team remains undefeated against the gun lobby in court,” Ferguson bragged in a same-day news release. “This common-sense gun reform will save lives by restricting access to the preferred weapon of mass shooters.”

Guardian Arms LLC in Moses Lake originally filed suit in Grant County Superior Court on April 25, the same day Gov. Jay Inslee signed HB 1240 into law.

Guardian’s lawsuit alleges that firearms classified as assault weapons have been used in very few mass shootings in Washington and claims the law’s definition of “assault weapon” is unconstitutionally vague.