US judge declares California's assault weapons ban unconstitutional

Oct 19 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday declared a California law banning assault weapons unconstitutional, saying the prohibition enacted in 1989 against semi-automatic weapons could not stand under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that expanded gun rights.

San Diego-based U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez ruled in a challenge to the law brought by gun rights groups and others that it deprived law-abiding people of semiautomatic firearms like the AR-15 in violation of the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms."

Benitez issued an injunction blocking the law, but put that on hold for 10 days so the state could appeal. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said in a statement that he would appeal, calling the judge's decision "dangerous and misguided."