CCRKBA Applauds Four VA Prosecutors for Refusing to Enforce Gun Ban

May 28, 2026
4:12 am

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In a striking display of prosecutorial backbone, four Virginia county attorneys have drawn a line in the sand against Governor Abigail Spanberger’s so-called “assault firearms” ban, refusing to lend their offices to what they correctly identify as a blatant Second Amendment violation. By declining to prosecute cases under the new law, Phillip Blevins Jr., Rob Cerullo, Justin L. Griffin, and Ryan Mehaffey aren’t merely exercising discretion—they’re signaling that elected officials who swear an oath to the Constitution cannot be compelled to become foot soldiers in its erosion. This isn’t obstruction; it’s a textbook example of federalism and separation of powers working exactly as the Founders intended when local officials push back against overreach from Richmond. The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms rightly highlights this as more than a local story—it’s a template for resistance that other prosecutors across the country should study. Virginia’s ban, like so many before it, rests on the shaky premise that redefining common semiautomatic firearms as “assault weapons” magically transforms protected conduct into criminal behavior. When line prosecutors refuse to play along, they expose the law’s practical weakness: without willing enforcers, even the most draconian statute becomes a paper tiger. This development also underscores a growing trend where 2A sanctuary policies are evolving from symbolic resolutions into tangible non-cooperation, forcing anti-gun governors to confront the reality that their political victories on paper don’t automatically translate into courtroom wins. For the broader Second Amendment community, these refusals represent both validation and a call to action. They prove that principled local officials can blunt the impact of state-level gun control even when the legislature and governor’s mansion are hostile, but they also remind activists that elections for commonwealth’s attorney matter as much as those for governor or legislature. The message to gun owners is clear: keep supporting candidates who understand that the right to keep and bear arms isn’t subject to the latest progressive fashion in Richmond or anywhere else, and recognize that nullification at the prosecutorial level is one of the most effective, immediate tools available when higher courts move too slowly.

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The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms rightly highlights this as more than a local story—it’s a template for resistance that other prosecutors across the country should study. Virginia’s ban, like so many before it, rests on the shaky premise that redefining common semiautomatic firearms as “assault weapons” magically transforms protected conduct into criminal behavior. When line prosecutors refuse to play along, they expose the law’s practical weakness: without willing enforcers, even the most draconian statute becomes a paper tiger. This development also underscores a growing trend where 2A sanctuary policies are evolving from symbolic resolutions into tangible non-cooperation, forcing anti-gun governors to confront the reality that their political victories on paper don’t automatically translate into courtroom wins.

For the broader Second Amendment community, these refusals represent both validation and a call to action. They prove that principled local officials can blunt the impact of state-level gun control even when the legislature and governor’s mansion are hostile, but they also remind activists that elections for commonwealth’s attorney matter as much as those for governor or legislature. The message to gun owners is clear: keep supporting candidates who understand that the right to keep and bear arms isn’t subject to the latest progressive fashion in Richmond or anywhere else, and recognize that nullification at the prosecutorial level is one of the most effective, immediate tools available when higher courts move too slowly.

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