{"id":1630,"date":"2014-07-28T02:27:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-28T02:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/2014\/07\/28\/impressions-on-win-in-palmer-v-distric\/"},"modified":"2019-08-16T18:24:19","modified_gmt":"2019-08-16T18:24:19","slug":"impressions-on-win-in-palmer-v-distric","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/?p=1630","title":{"rendered":"Impressions On The Win In Palmer v. District Of Columbia"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='__iawmlf-post-loop-links' style='display:none;' data-iawmlf-post-links='[{&quot;id&quot;:11633,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;http:\\\/\\\/alangura.com\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/victory-in-palmer-v-d-c&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20250711002350\\\/http:\\\/\\\/alangura.com\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/victory-in-palmer-v-d-c\\\/&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-19 05:56:06&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:503}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-19 05:56:06&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:503},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:11634,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.washingtonpost.com\\\/local\\\/crime\\\/federal-judge-overturns-dc-handgun-ban\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/26\\\/906bc366-1534-11e4-98ee-daea85133bc9_story.html?hpid=z3&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20190809170957\\\/https:\\\/\\\/www.washingtonpost.com\\\/local\\\/crime\\\/federal-judge-overturns-dc-handgun-ban\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/26\\\/906bc366-1534-11e4-98ee-daea85133bc9_story.html?hpid=z3&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-19 05:56:12&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:503}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-19 05:56:12&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:503},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:11635,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.chicagotribune.com\\\/news\\\/nationworld\\\/la-na-nn-handgun-ban-washington-dc-unconstitutional-judge-20140727,0,1551286.story&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20140729195632\\\/http:\\\/\\\/www.chicagotribune.com\\\/news\\\/nationworld\\\/la-na-nn-handgun-ban-washington-dc-unconstitutional-judge-20140727,0,1551286.story&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-19 05:56:16&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:404}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-19 05:56:16&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:404},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:11636,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.nytimes.com\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/27\\\/us\\\/judge-overturns-dc-ban-on-guns-in-public.html?module=Search&amp;mabReward=relbias%3Aw%2C{%222%22%3A%22RI%3A16%22}&amp;_r=0&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:null,&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:11637,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;http:\\\/\\\/newsbusters.org\\\/blogs\\\/tom-blumer\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/27\\\/federal-court-strikes-down-nation-s-last-explicit-gun-ban-press-mostly-i&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20140913054231\\\/http:\\\/\\\/newsbusters.org\\\/blogs\\\/tom-blumer\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/27\\\/federal-court-strikes-down-nation-s-last-explicit-gun-ban-press-mostly-i&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-19 05:57:05&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-29 01:24:42&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-29 01:24:42&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:11638,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;http:\\\/\\\/alangura.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/DCT_OPINION.pdf&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20260313205616\\\/http:\\\/\\\/alangura.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/DCT_OPINION.pdf&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-19 05:57:12&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:503}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-19 05:57:12&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:503},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:8413,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;http:\\\/\\\/politicsandguns.com&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.politicsandguns.com\\\/&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:null,&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:11639,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.washingtonpost.com\\\/local\\\/dc-attorney-general-plans-to-seek-stay-of-ruling-overturning-districts-handgun-ban\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/27\\\/00d9e9d0-15c5-11e4-9349-84d4a85be981_story.html?hpid=z3&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20250817112912\\\/https:\\\/\\\/www.washingtonpost.com\\\/local\\\/dc-attorney-general-plans-to-seek-stay-of-ruling-overturning-districts-handgun-ban\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/27\\\/00d9e9d0-15c5-11e4-9349-84d4a85be981_story.html?hpid=z3&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-19 05:58:05&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:503}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-19 05:58:05&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:503},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;}]'><\/div>\n<p>\nBy now, many of you are aware that attorney <a href=\"http:\/\/alangura.com\/2014\/07\/victory-in-palmer-v-d-c\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alan Gura got another big win for the Second Amendment<\/a> with his win in Palmer v. District of Columbia. US District Court Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. ruled that DC&#8217;s ban on any sort of carry outside the home was unconstitutional under any level of scrutiny. The decision has been reported in most of the big papers ranging from the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/crime\/federal-judge-overturns-dc-handgun-ban\/2014\/07\/26\/906bc366-1534-11e4-98ee-daea85133bc9_story.html?hpid=z3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Washington Post<\/a> to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/news\/nationworld\/la-na-nn-handgun-ban-washington-dc-unconstitutional-judge-20140727,0,1551286.story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chicago Tribune<\/a> to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2014\/07\/27\/us\/judge-overturns-dc-ban-on-guns-in-public.html?module=Search&amp;mabReward=relbias%3Aw%2C{%222%22%3A%22RI%3A16%22}&amp;_r=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Times<\/a> (which they <a href=\"http:\/\/newsbusters.org\/blogs\/tom-blumer\/2014\/07\/27\/federal-court-strikes-down-nation-s-last-explicit-gun-ban-press-mostly-i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">buried on page A16<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Congratulations must go to attorney Alan Gura, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the four individual plaintiffs led by Tom Palmer for bringing the fight to the District of Columbia and DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier. Without their efforts, there would be no win for carry in DC and, potentially, for carry in other areas.<\/p>\n<p>Having read the <a href=\"http:\/\/alangura.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/DCT_OPINION.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Memorandum-Decision and Order<\/a> from Judge Scullin, I was struck by a number of things. First, and most important, was the importance to this win of prior cases ranging from <i>Heller <\/i>and <i>McDonald<\/i> to <i>Peruta<\/i>, <i>Ezell<\/i>, and <i>Moore v. Madigan<\/i>. Alan Gura has stressed many times in public appearances and in private conversations that the expansion of Second Amendment rights is a building process. Just like the strategic civil rights litigation of Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund didn&#8217;t end segregation overnight, neither will the Second Amendment Foundation, the NRA, and others involved in the legal battle to advance our Second Amendment rights win back what we lost overnight.<\/p>\n<p>Second, dissents in past cases are often as important as majority opinions. For example, Judge Scullin quotes from the dissent in the New Jersey carry case of <i>Drake v. Filko<\/i> (originally <i>Muller v. Maenza<\/i>) by Judge Hardiman of the 3rd Circuit.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\n<i>To speak of &#8216;bearing&#8217; arms solely within one&#8217;s<br \/>\nhome not only would conflate &#8216;bearing&#8217; with &#8216;keeping,&#8217; in derogation of the Court&#8217;s holding that<br \/>\nthe verbs codified distinct rights, but also would be awkward usage given the meaning assigned<br \/>\nthe terms by the Supreme Court.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Perhaps a more important dissent quoted in the case was by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg from <i>Muscarello v. United States<\/i> regarding the &#8220;natural meaning of &#8216;bear arms'&#8221;. Justice Ginsberg said in her dissent that to bear arms means to &#8220;wear, bear, or carry . . . upon the person or in the clothing or in a pocket, for the purpose . . . of being armed and ready for offensive or defensive action in a case of conflict with<br \/>\nanother person.&#8221; While some may question quoting Justice Ginsberg, I think it was a masterful move by Judge Scullin.<\/p>\n<p>Third, even losses in Second Amendment cases can be important for future wins. For example, even though cases such as <i>Kachalsky <\/i>from New York, <i>Drake <\/i>from New Jersey, and <i>Woollard <\/i>from Maryland failed to overturn their respective states&#8217; rationales for granting their may-issue carry permits, they still helped Judge Scullin reach the conclusion that the Second Amendment guarantees a right to bear arms outside the home.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"tr_bq\"><p>\n<i>In light of Heller, McDonald, and their progeny, there is no longer any basis on which<br \/>\nthis Court can conclude that the District of Columbia&#8217;s total ban on the public carrying of readyto-<br \/>\nuse handguns outside the home is constitutional under any level of scrutiny. Therefore, the<br \/>\nCourt finds that the District of Columbia&#8217;s complete ban on the carrying of handguns in public is<br \/>\nunconstitutional.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;Fourth, it is significant that this decision applies to both residents and non-residents of the District of Columbia. This means that, as of now, the District of Columbia and its entire bureaucracy including the Metropolitan Police Department are enjoined from enforcing the laws forbidding carry outside the home against both groups. While Judge Scullin found the equal protection and right to travel challenges to residency requirements were not ripe, they may come up again in the future after the District develops a concealed carry permit law.<\/p>\n<p>As I said last night on <a href=\"http:\/\/politicsandguns.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Polite Society Podcast<\/a>, I fully expect this decision to be appealed. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/dc-attorney-general-plans-to-seek-stay-of-ruling-overturning-districts-handgun-ban\/2014\/07\/27\/00d9e9d0-15c5-11e4-9349-84d4a85be981_story.html?hpid=z3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Washington Post reported earlier this evening<\/a> that DC&#8217;s Attorney General plans to seek a stay in Judge Scullin&#8217;s order while they decide whether to appeal the loss.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/dc-attorney-general-plans-to-seek-stay-of-ruling-overturning-districts-handgun-ban\/2014\/07\/27\/00d9e9d0-15c5-11e4-9349-84d4a85be981_story.html?hpid=z3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/dc-attorney-general-plans-to-seek-stay-of-ruling-overturning-districts-handgun-ban\/2014\/07\/27\/00d9e9d0-15c5-11e4-9349-84d4a85be981_story.html?hpid=z3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">I&#8217;ll let Alan Gura have the final say<\/a> on the implications of this case:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"tr_bq\"><p>\n<i>\u201cThe decision is in effect, unless and until the court stays its decision,\u201d Gura said Sunday. \u201cThis is now a decision that the city is required to follow \u2014 the idea that the city can prohibit absolutely the exercise of a constitutional right for all people at all times, that was struck down. That\u2019s just not going to fly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gura said allowing citizens to carry handguns for self-defense will cut crime. \u201cThis is a fantastic improvement in public safety,\u201d he said. \u201cYes, we have a problem in America with gun violence. But no, that problem is not the result of law-abiding people carrying guns.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By now, many of you are aware that attorney Alan Gura got another big win for the Second Amendment&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1260,158,2170],"class_list":["post-1630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-alan-gura","tag-concealed-carry","tag-palmer-v-district-of-columbia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1630"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9947,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1630\/revisions\/9947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}