RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Maryland's ban on assault weapons and large-capacity gun magazines is back before a federal appeals court.
A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond raised concerns about the constitutionality of the restrictions in February. The panel sent a lawsuit challenging those provisions back to a judge who upheld them and ordered her to take another look using a more rigorous legal standard.
The state appealed that 2-1 decision to the full 15-member appeals court, which will hear arguments Wednesday.
Maryland lawmakers passed the sweeping Firearms Safety Act after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut. Gun-rights advocates went along with most of the law but challenged the provision banning 45 assault weapons and the 10-round limit on gun magazines.
