The Prosecution Rests

“When Governor Abigail Spanberger signed a new assault weapons ban in Virginia last month, it got almost zero national news coverage. Yet it amounted to an important milestone: It marked the first time in U.S. history that such a gun-control measure was passed into law by any state government in the American South.” And when bans are signed into law, those laws must be enforced by prosecutors. At least, that’s what we thought. TNR: Deep in Rural Virginia, a MAGA Pro-Gun Push Takes an Unnerving Turn. “A number of county-based prosecutors in red areas of Virginia are publicly declaring that they will not enforce the new ban on assault-style weapons. This movement is taking shape as a direct, openly confrontational challenge to the authority of Spanberger and the Virginia legislature that passed the measure—and it only appears to be growing.”