Federal Appeals Court To Reconsider Maryland Gun Control Law

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- A federal appeals court will reconsider a Maryland ban on semiautomatic high-capacity assault weapons.

The Washington Post reports (http://wapo.st/1Sp4U5Z) the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit announced Friday that it'll rehear a case involving the state's 2013 ban, which prohibits the possession or sale of over 45 types of assault weapons. The law remains in effect.

A divided panel of the court cast doubt last month on the legality of Maryland's ban, which was passed after the mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

The decision would have sent the gun control law back to a lower court for review, but instead a majority of eligible judges voted to revisit it this spring.

Oral arguments are scheduled for May 11 at the Richmond, Virginia-based appeals court.
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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com

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