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Registered handgun owners from D.C. and other states may carry the weapon in public for the time being due to a federal judge’s ruling.
Federal judge Frederick Scullin ruled Saturday that “the District of Columbia’s complete ban on the carrying of handguns in public is unconstitutional.” The ruling grants the people from both D.C. and other areas the right to carry registered handguns outside the home “unless and until such time as the District of Columbia adopts a licensing mechanism consistent with constitutional standards enabling people to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms.”
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were instructed Sunday not to arrest registered handgun owners carrying in public “until further notice.” Non-D.C. residents must follow the rules from their home state in order to avoid arrest. A change in this policy could come soon, as the Office of the Attorney General plans to seek a stay on the decision, meaning the ruling wouldn’t be enforced while an appeal is pending. A spokesperson for the OAG was unable to say when exactly the stay will be filed.
“Unfortunately the recent court ruling has left many unanswered questions,” MPD Chief Cathy Lanier said in a statement. “We are meeting with the legal team for the City now to try to get those answers. We will be issuing additional guidance to the force and the public shortly. As soon as we have that guidance ready will get it out immediately.”
The lawsuit was brought by Tom Palmer, George Lyon, Edward Raymond, Amy McVey and the Second Amendment Foundation. Attorney Alan Gura, who argued on behalf of the plaintiffs, claimed victory this weekend.
“Obviously, the carrying of handguns for self-defense can be regulated. Exactly how is a topic of severe and serious debate, and courts should enforce constitutional limitations on such regulation should the government opt to regulate,” he said in a statement. “But totally banning a right literally spelled out in the Bill of Rights isn’t going to fly.”
In a statement, Mayor Vince Gray’s office said he “remains committed to having reasonable gun safety measures in the District.” Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said in a statement, “It is important to note that the decision was limited to the carrying of a handgun, and gave the District the authority to regulate such carrying.”
“Saturday’s decision goes beyond the Supreme Court’s Heller decision, which was limited to possessing a ready-to-use handgun in the home,” Norton said. “The Supreme Court has not ruled on any gun matter except the right to possess a handgun in the home. Saturday’s decision is not an invitation for intervention by Members of Congress who have no responsibility for public safety in the District of Columbia. It is a call for clarification by the federal courts.”
