New York State Rifle & Pistol Joins Other State Associations in Filing Brief in Supreme Court Case

TROY, NY (02/12/2008)(readMedia)-- The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear a case in which a 31-year-old Washington, D.C. handgun ban was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The District Court ruled that the ban violated the Second Amendment to the Constitution and the Washington city government is appealing this decision. This case is important to gun owners everywhere because the Supreme Court will be interpreting the language of the Second Amendment – specifically, whether it enumerates an individual right to keep and bear arms. Thus, the results of this case could be either a great victory or a devastating defeat for gun owners.

The New York State rifle & Pistol association has joined 41 other state associations in filing an amicus brief [attached] urging the Supreme Court to uphold the ruling that the District's handgun ban violates the Second Amendment, and that the Second Amendment enumerates an individual right to keep and bear arms. This brief can be found online at:

http://www.nysrpa.org/files/StateFirearmAssociations-AmicusBrief.pdf

This filing comes on the heels of a related amicus brief signed by a majority of both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Clearly, legislators on both sides of the aisle agree that the Second Amendment enumerates an individual right to keep and bear arms. We hope that the Supreme Court agrees.

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