SAN DIEGO - A San Diego federal court judge today overturned California's three-decade old ban on assault weapons, ruling "the state's definition of illegal military-style rifles unlawfully deprives law-abiding Californians of weapons commonly allowed in most other states."
In a 94-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez, an appointee of then-President George W. Bush, wrote, "Like the Swiss Army knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment. Good for both home and battle, the AR-15 is the kind of versatile gun that lies at the intersection of the kinds of firearms protected under District of Columbia v. Heller and United States v. Miller.
"Yet, the state of California makes it a crime to have an AR-15-type ri
