We’ve previously covered the fact that Colorado’s background check law didn’t actually lead to more background checks, so we won’t rehash the failures of that particular law here. Let’s talk instead about the fact that in the six years since Colorado’s magazine ban was put on the books, it’s been used in only a handful of prosecutions across the state. In fact, KUPC reports fewer than a dozen individuals have been sentenced for violating the magazine ban since 2013. George Brauchler, the District Attorney in the state’s 18th Judicial District, says the handful of prosecutions from his office all stemmed from other violations of law, many involving illicit drugs or illegally possessed firearms. As it turns out, the law is not only unconstitutional (given the fact that magazines over 20 rounds are in common use for lawful purposes), it’s ineffective.
Brauchler does not think the law has had an impact on crime and, in his role as the district attorney who prosecuted the Aurora theater shooter, he does not think the magazine ban would have made a difference in that incident.
“I just don’t think that you can argue that ‘Man, if we just reduced the magazine capacity enough, we’re gonna save lives,’” he said. “I think that is speculative.”
