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Golly, I just love it when Josh Sugarman sounds cowed and humble....
Dear Violence Policy Center Action Network Member:
Last Friday in a two-to-one decision the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia Circuit struck down Washington, DC's handgun ban--which has been in
place for more than 30 years--on Second Amendment grounds. The decision was the
first to strike down any gun control law based on a Second Amendment challenge
and it flies in the face of decades of federal court and Supreme Court
precedent.
If the ruling stands, District residents would be allowed to keep handguns in
their homes, and the District's requirement that all guns (DC residents can own
rifles and shotguns) in homes must be kept locked would also be rescinded. The
ruling has been stayed while the District of Columbia files an appeal with the
full Circuit Court. If the District loses its appeal, the case, Parker, et al
v. the District of Columbia, could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Following the court's ruling the VPC issued the following statement:
"Today's split decision by the Court of Appeals to overturn the District of
Columbia's handgun ban is not only contrary to the overwhelming weight of legal
authority, but will certainly increase gun death and injury among District
residents and increase the risks faced by the law enforcement personnel who
protect all residents and workers in Washington, DC. If the ruling in this case
is upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, it has the potential to lay the groundwork
for literally every local, state, and federal gun law in America to be
challenged: from the federal ban on gun possession by felons, to the ban on
carrying guns onto airplanes, to the ban on the manufacture of fully automatic
machine guns for civilian use. While today's decision is a dream come true for
America's gun lobby and gunmakers, it may mark the beginning of a long, national
nightmare from which we will never recover as nation."
The ruling came the same day that a new study from the Police Executive Research
Forum detailed a shocking rise in violent crime, focusing on the pivotal role
that firearms play in driving the increases. To read my column on The
Huffington Post discussing the decision and the PERF report, click here:
The VPC filed an amicus brief in the DC case and we will continue to work to
preserve DC's handgun ban, not just for the citizens of Washington, DC, but to
ensure the integrity of all of America's gun laws.
Thank you, as always, for your time and energy in support of reducing gun death
and injury.
Best,
Josh Sugarmann
Executive Director
Last Friday in a two-to-one decision the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District
of Columbia Circuit struck down Washington, DC's handgun ban--which has been in
place for more than 30 years--on Second Amendment grounds. The decision was the
first to strike down any gun control law based on a Second Amendment challenge
and it flies in the face of decades of federal court and Supreme Court
precedent.
If the ruling stands, District residents would be allowed to keep handguns in
their homes, and the District's requirement that all guns (DC residents can own
rifles and shotguns) in homes must be kept locked would also be rescinded. The
ruling has been stayed while the District of Columbia files an appeal with the
full Circuit Court. If the District loses its appeal, the case, Parker, et al
v. the District of Columbia, could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Following the court's ruling the VPC issued the following statement:
"Today's split decision by the Court of Appeals to overturn the District of
Columbia's handgun ban is not only contrary to the overwhelming weight of legal
authority, but will certainly increase gun death and injury among District
residents and increase the risks faced by the law enforcement personnel who
protect all residents and workers in Washington, DC. If the ruling in this case
is upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, it has the potential to lay the groundwork
for literally every local, state, and federal gun law in America to be
challenged: from the federal ban on gun possession by felons, to the ban on
carrying guns onto airplanes, to the ban on the manufacture of fully automatic
machine guns for civilian use. While today's decision is a dream come true for
America's gun lobby and gunmakers, it may mark the beginning of a long, national
nightmare from which we will never recover as nation."
The ruling came the same day that a new study from the Police Executive Research
Forum detailed a shocking rise in violent crime, focusing on the pivotal role
that firearms play in driving the increases. To read my column on The
Huffington Post discussing the decision and the PERF report, click here:
The VPC filed an amicus brief in the DC case and we will continue to work to
preserve DC's handgun ban, not just for the citizens of Washington, DC, but to
ensure the integrity of all of America's gun laws.
Thank you, as always, for your time and energy in support of reducing gun death
and injury.
Best,
Josh Sugarmann
Executive Director
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