Colorado gun laws argued in federal court

Colorado attorneys defended the state’s new gun restrictions against a lawsuit to overturn them, saying the laws balance Second Amendment rights and public safety concerns.

But attorney Richard Westfall, who is representing gun rights advocates, says the laws are based on emotion and not data to prove they are effective. He argues the laws violate the Second Amendment.

The comments came Monday in Denver federal court during opening arguments of a two-week trial. The laws in question, which took effect July 1, limit the size of ammunition magazines to 15 rounds and expand background checks to firearm sales online and private sellers.

Deputy Attorney General Matthew Grove noted the laws were a response to mass shootings at a suburban Denver movie theater and Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School.