U.S. District Judge Alfred Covello upheld Connecticut's gun control law on Thursday even after gun owners sued in an attempt to block the law stating it violates Second Amendment rights, the Associated Press reported.
The gun control law was signed last April by Governor Dannel P. Malloy after lawmakers worked on providing stricter gun laws in light of the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 20 children and six teachers on Dec. 14, 2012, according to the AP.
Covello stated in his 47-page decision that the law was not written "with the utmost clarity" but the provisions are "not impermissibly vague in all of their applications and, therefore, the challenged portions of the legislation are not unconstitutionally vague," the AP reported.
Malloy, who signed the law into action, said "the common-sense measures we enacted last session will make our state safer and I am grateful for the court's seal of approval," the AP reported.
The law did not ban guns overall, but banned sales of large-capacity weapons and also made more weapons illegal, according to the AP.
"While the act burdens the plaintiffs' Second Amendment rights, it is substantially related to the important governmental interest of public safety and crime control," Covello wrote in his ruling, the AP reported.
Covello added in his ruling that the court is "reasonably certain the prohibitions do not impose a substantial burden upon the core right protected by the Second Amendment," according to the AP. Still, Connecticut's gun rights groups attorney Brian Stapleton said he plans to appeal Covello's ruling.
"This is a disappointing decision, but not entirely surprising," Stapleton said, according to the AP. "This is a long way from over."
Covello insisted the law does not completely prohibit firearms for self-defense in the home, therefore steering clear of truly violating citizen's rights, the AP reported.
He also stated the handgun, the "quintessential self-defense weapon" has not been banned under the law, meaning the gun control law "does not effectively disarm individuals or substantially affect their ability to defend themselves," according to the AP.
Attorney General George Jepsen agreed with Covello and said the ruling is "entirely appropriate, sensible and lawful," adding "We will continue to vigorously defend them in the event of any appeal that may be filed of this decision," the AP reported.
