A Maryland court has denied a challenge to a new gun control law to be enacted Tuesday by a group of pro-gun plaintiffs, saying they didn't act soon enough to make a case, SeattlePi.com reported.
The denial came after Attorney General Doug Gansler asked a federal judge in Baltimore to deny the group's request for an official order preventing the law from being enforced.
Individual residents, gun shops, and organizations filed two lawsuits last week against what they see as a violation of their Second Amendment right. A court hearing for the first case is scheduled on Tuesday.
Plaintiffs include Shawn Tardy, Andrew Turner, Matthew Godwin, the Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Wink's Sporting Goods Inc., the Maryland Licensed Firearms Dealers Association, Maryland Shall Issue Inc., the Maryland State Rifle and Pistol Association, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Gansler said the motion should be denied entirely since the plaintiffs have had six months to organize a lawsuit after Gov. Martin O'Malley signed the law earlier this year. He also said the gun advocates have yet to prove how the new law would cause harm and do not demonstrate a case that seems likely to succeed.
A spokeswoman for the governor expressed the same sentiment last week, saying she doesn't think the lawsuit will be successful.
"The vast majority of Marylanders support these common-sense efforts to reduce gun violence," spokeswoman Samantha Kappalman said. "The new law will take effect on Tuesday, and it will make families safer."
The new law will require people to submit fingerprints to the state police before purchasing a handgun. It also adds 45 guns to the list of banned assault weapons in the state and limits handgun magazines to ten rounds.
Following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last December, O'Malley proposed tighter gun legislation to prevent further tragedies.
Although the National Rife Association (NRA) is not involved in the case, a spokesperson expressed their solidarity with Maryland's gun advocates.
"We are supporting it in every way we can." spokeswoman Sharon Alford said.
