Federal Judge Denies GVI Bid to Block Act 9113 Injunction Fight, Scolds AG Lawyers Over Late Filing

Ahead of oral arguments Wednesday, Judge Evan Rikhye has rejected the Government of the Virgin Islands’ attempt to prevent consideration of a federal injunction targeting portions of Act 9113, while separately rebuking attorneys in the V.I. Office of the Attorney General for missing a court-ordered filing deadline and pursuing what he characterized as a procedurally unavailable motion. The ruling represents the latest development in the federal government’s continuing firearms lawsuit against the Government of the Virgin Islands, the V.I. Police Department and Police Commissioner Mario Brooks. The case began in 2025 with U.S. Department of Justice allegations that the territory imposed unconstitutional delays and barriers on people seeking firearm licenses. Since the passage of Act 9113, however, the dispute has expanded to provisions of the territory’s new firearms law. Those include a ban on suppressors and continued restrictions on firearm magazine capacity. The legislation’s spo...