[JURIST] A ban on assault weapons [ordinance text] in the city of Denver was affirmed by operation of law [per curiam opinion] on Monday when the Colorado Supreme Court [official website] deadlocked in a 3-3 vote with one judge abstaining on whether to overturn the decisions in two lower court cases that had upheld the ban. The state enacted two laws [LCAV backgrounder] in 2003 that imposed regulations that superseded local ordinances governing firearms.

The city of Denver and some citizens sued the state in 2004, and a Denver judge ruled [PDF] that the city could ban the sale of assault weapons and Saturday night specials as it had in 1989 [AP report] and 1975 respectively, but had to comply with the other state regulations. AP has more. The Denver Post has local coverage.