What the heck is going on in DC?

[M1911Owner]

I thought the Washington DC gun ban had been overturned. Now I see that an aide to Senator Webb has been arrested for possession of a gun and "unregistered ammunition", and the story states, "Washington, D.C., where only law enforcement officials are allowed to carry handguns."

Was the law overturned, or not? What the blazes is going on here?

Here's one story about it: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,261583,00.html

 

[shield20]

I believe the lawsuit was for possessing a gun in your home, so THAT is the law which was overturned; a law that says a peasant can't bring a handgun to any where else, esp. the Senate Office Building, is still in force.

 

[Mongo the Mutterer]

Parker v DC

Here is a link to the Parker Decision.

As Shield20 said, it only applies to ownership, not carry.

It is, however a work of art.

 

[M1911Owner]

OK, now it makes more sense. I thought it was all one law, that had now been overturned.

 

[Rumble]

I just read the opinion, and there is an element of "carry" that is involved, but it deals strictly with the ability to carry a firearm from place to place within one's home (which previously was not legal, believe it or not). They specifically avoid the issue of carrying firearms in public.

 

[jpk1md]

They don't avoid the issue of "Carry" as much as it was not part of the scope of the appeal.

The specific cases they chose to appeal were selected to a large degree because of the narrow scope (owning in your home for self defense) and demonstrated that the COMPLETE ban set forth by the DC Laws were a violation of the 2A.

Had the case been so broad as to include CCW or Open Carry it NEVER would have succeeded since the court ruled that the 2A could be regulated in similar fashion to the 1A....ie you cannot scream FIRE in a crowded theatre

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

What's unbelievable is the the Constitution has been null and void in the nation's Capital for over 30 years and it taken that long for somebody to challenge it.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

If this law had been challenged almost any time in the preceding 30 years, chances are very good it would have gone the other way. That may explain why some waited so long to challenge the law.

Also, while the Parker decision did overturn the ban, a stay will likely be issued (if not issued already) while the case is appealed. So it is still illegal to own a handgun in D.C. for the time being.

 

[tinygnat219]

The arrest happened at the US Capitol, under the US Capitol Police. DC laws and the DC police had nothing to do with this arrest.