Supreme Court rules against D.C. gun ban
Washington Business Journal - by Tierney Plumb Staff Reporter
D.C.'s 32-year gun ban violates the Second Amendment, the Supreme Court said Thursday.
The court's 5-4 ruling says Americans have the right to own guns for self-defense and hunting.
That leaves the D.C. Police Department with a heavy-loaded job: to create a new gun regulation plan. And until then residents can't buy a gun and bring it into the city.
The soonest regulations could be issued will be in 21 to 25 days.
A period of legal arguments will occur before a lower court judge to identify specifics around the Supreme Court's opinion before there is an injunction to officially end the ban, according to interim D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles.
The latest the ban could be lifted would be in the fall, Nickles said.
In the mean time, the city has set up a hot line for firearm registrations.
"So we will start dealing with regulations on the questions of how do you register a legal handgun," Nickles said. "The handgun has to be of a certain type to be registered. It cannot be a semi automatic or automatic."
The Police Department's registration regulations state that gun owners must be 18 or over, have never been convicted of a felony or any weapon-related charge or have been in a mental hospital for the past five years.
Registrants also will be fingerprinted and required to pass a written test to be sure they understand the city's gun laws.
In addition, handguns would only be allowed in the home. Carrying them on the streets or into other buildings would be unlawful.
This is the court's first in-depth look at the Second Amendment. Justice Antonin Scalia, joined by four other justices, found the Constitution does not permit "the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home."
Related Industry News
|
Latest News |
Most Viewed Stories |
Most Emailed Stories |
