Judge Lifts DC Ban on Guns in Public - East Idaho News
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Judge Lifts DC Ban on Guns in Public

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GETTY 072814 Handgunphoto?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1406548706689Image Source/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — A ruling that would allow registered gun owners to carry firearms in public has thrown Washington, D.C. for a loop.

On Saturday, Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. ruled that a “total ban on the public carrying of ready-to-use handguns outside the home is unconstitutional.”

The judge said he would stop enforcement of the ban until D.C. came up with a “constitutionally valid licensing.”

However, ABC News legal analyst Royal Oakes explains, “This won’t be the last word on the subject. The District of Columbia will likely appeal the order, and ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court may be called on to clarify when and how lawmakers are allowed to impose restrictions on the right of citizens guaranteed by the Second Amendment to carry guns.”

Attorney Alan Gura, representing the group challenging the ban, says the ruling should be in effect immediately and will lead to less crime on the streets as people will be able to defend themselves.

However, Ted Gest, a spokesman for the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, says the AG is asking Judge Scullin to stay his ruling pending appeal.


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