Gun rights groups push Colorado judge to uphold three-day waiting period
Second Amendment advocates asked a federal judge to reject Colorado’s three-day firearm waiting period, citing recent Supreme Court rulings.
In Denver, lawyers representing Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and “Boomstick Babe” Alicia Garcia urged U.S. District Judge John Kane to invalidate Colorado’s three-day gun-purchase waiting period, invoking the Supreme Court’s Bruen framework and recent decisions that have limited waiting periods in Hawaii and New Mexico. Michael McCoy of the Mountain States Legal Foundation highlighted the Court’s view that any delay, even an hour, imposes an unconstitutional burden, arguing that the three-day gap is excessive.
State prosecutor Joseph Michaels defended the statute, saying it merely mirrors the three-day background-check window and is narrower than New Mexico’s broader restrictions. He also distinguished the Colorado law from the Hawaii case, noting it regulates acquisition rather than possession. Kane heard both sides, refrained from questioning, and promised a careful ruling that will likely be reviewed by the 10th Circuit.
Why it matters
The case could shape how states impose waiting periods on gun purchases nationwide.
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