A U.S. District judge in California ruled last week that banning semi-automatic rifles doesn't violate the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment. The judge ruled that California can uphold their state law banning the manufacture, sale or ownership of semi-automatic rifles.
Judge Josephine Stanton of Santa Ana called the weapons "incredibly effective killing machines that aren't needed for self-defense." She also ruled that semi-automatic rifles are military rather than civilian weapons and not protected under the Second Amendment. Her ruling can be repealed.