Federal judge orders AR-15 ban in the U.S.

• A federal judge in the U.S. has ordered an appeal of a ban on AR-15 weapons to be put on hold while litigation continues over whether the AR-15 is covered by the ban.
• The ruling is expected to be appealed by the government, which will argue that the ban should be lifted and the case should move forward.
• The judge planned to keep the ban in place unless it was overturned by the court, and the ban was set to expire after 2004.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in a lawsuit that challenges the legality of a ban on assault weapons, including the AR-15, said the government must pause the ban while it considers the legal arguments.

In the meantime, the judge ordered the ban to be temporarily suspended. The decision came as the government argued that the ban should remain in effect, while opponents said it was unconstitutional and should be struck down.

CNN reports that one of the appeals pending involves the legality of the ban on assault weapons. The network says the lawsuit could affect whether the ban remains in place.

In addition, CNN says the judge ruled that the ban could not be enforced while the case is ongoing.

As CNN puts it, the judge found that the ban on assault weapons could be unconstitutional and that the government would need to justify it. CNN also says that the judge warned that the ban could be overturned if the government fails to provide sufficient evidence.

Officials said the government would appeal the decision.

Tags: Crime/USA/Politics