This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at .
Colorado鈥檚 law requiring people to be at least 21 years old to buy a gun can stand, a federal judge ruled Thursday.
The ruling is a definitive win for gun control advocates and a blow to the group Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and two young people hoping to purchase guns, who sued Gov. Jared Polis to block the law in 2023. Chief U.S. District Judge Philip A. Brimmer sided with Polis and said in his ruling that the plaintiffs could not prove that the law violated their rights.
鈥淧laintiffs cannot establish a violation of a right secured by the Constitution or that they have suffered an irreparable injury from such a violation,鈥� Brimmer wrote.
The law, passed in 2023, changed the minimum age to purchase all guns in Colorado to 21 from 18 and added criminal penalties for purchasers and firearm sellers.
Federal law already bans the purchase of handguns from licensed dealers by people under 21, but allows younger people to purchase other kinds of guns. The is being challenged, though.
Supporters of the Colorado law argued that the age restriction will reduce youth suicides, accidental shootings and gun violence. Eight states, including Colorado, have , according to data from Everytown, a gun control advocacy organization.
Firearms are the among children and teens.
Eric Maruyama, a spokesperson for Polis, said the governor is 鈥渃onfident this law has and will help keep Coloradans and our communities safe.鈥�
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and the two young people interested in purchasing guns immediately challenged the Colorado law in federal court in 2023. Brimmer initially agreed they had enough of a case to prevent the law from taking effect, . Then, Polis appealed to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which in November and allowed the law to go into effect while Brimmer considered the merits of the case.
On Thursday, Brimmer ruled against the gun rights group.
Rocky Mountain Gun Owners executive director Ian Escalante called Thursday鈥檚 ruling 鈥渄isgraceful鈥� and said he is consulting with his legal team about whether the group will appeal the ruling.
鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously an activist judge鈥檚 ruling,鈥� Escalante said.
Brimmer was appointed by former President George W. Bush, a Republican.
Janet Carter, managing director of Second Amendment litigation at Everytown Law, the gun control advocacy group, said the ruling 鈥渨ill make Coloradans safer.鈥�
鈥淧rohibiting 18-20 year olds from purchasing firearms is a commonsense, data-backed tool for preventing gun violence,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 entirely constitutional.鈥�